Expression of factors involved in the regulation of angiogenesis in the full-term human placenta: Effects of in vitro fertilization.
The effects of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) on the safety of pregnancy and the resulting offspring remain controversial. Studies of placental functions, especially vasculogenesis and angiogenesis, in pregnancies established through ART are helpful for furthering our understanding of the safety of ART. This study compares the expression profiles of angiogenic factors in human term placentas obtained from natural (NAT) pregnancies vs. placentas obtained from pregnancies that resulted from ART. Term placentas were obtained from women who underwent an ART procedure (n=4), and these were compared with term placentas that were obtained from women who had experienced a spontaneous pregnancy (controls, n=4). An array analysis was performed using the Human Angiogenesis Antibody Array to detect 43 angiogenic factors and to identify which of these factors were differentially expressed between the two groups. The expression of six of these factors was greater in the ART group than in the NAT group. The levels of four of them, including vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR3), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), interferon gamma (IFNG) and matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1), were quantified using western blot analysis. These factors were examined using immunohistochemistry and microscopy in vascular endothelial cells or the cytoplasm and membranes of syncytiotrophoblast cells. Our finding that selected angiogenic factors exhibit altered expression profiles in ART placentas might be significant when evaluating ART safety.
State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Clinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Nanjing, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210005, China.
Chanjuan
C
Li
State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Clinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
Yuan
Y
Zhang
Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222006, China.
Lisha
L
Tang
State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Clinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
Haijun
H
Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Clinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
Chao
C
Gao
State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Clinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
Li
L
Gao
State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Clinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China. Electronic address: cuiygnj@njmu.edu.cn.
Yugui
Y
Cui
State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Clinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China. Electronic address: jyliu_nj@126.com.
Jiayin
J
Liu
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3 / Q000378:metabolism*
D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D007371:Interferon-gamma; C581309:FLT4 protein, human; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1
Angiogenesis; Antibody array; In vitro fertilization; Placenta