ObjectiveMaternal cigarette smoking is reportedly associated with miscarriage, fetal growth restriction and placental abruption, and is paradoxically associated with a decreased risk of developing preeclampsia. In the present study, we investigated the gene expression levels of villous tissues in early gestation. We compared the expression levels of the genes related to angiogenesis and apoptosis in the villous tissues obtained from smoking and non-smoking pregnant women.Materials and MethodsWe collected villous tissue samples from 57 women requesting surgical termination due to non-medical reasons at 6–8 weeks of gestation. The maternal cigarette smoking status was evaluated by the level of serum cotinine and patients were divided into active smokers and non-smokers by the serum cotinine level. The placental levels of VEGFA, PGF, FLT1, HIF1A, TP53, BAX and BCL2 mRNA were quantified by real time PCR.ResultsThe gene expression level of PGF and HIF1A in the active smoker group was significantly higher than that in the non-smoker group. We did not observe any significant differences in the VEGFA or FLT1 expression between the groups. In active smoker group, the gene expression levels of TP53 and BAX were significantly higher than those in the non-smoker group. The ratio of BAX/BCL2 mRNA in the active smoker group was significantly higher than that in the non-smoker group.ConclusionsOur findings revealed that smoking might affect the placenta during early pregnancy. Maternal cigarette smoking in early pregnancy may be associated with villus hypoxia, which may influence angiogenesis and apoptosis.
Objective: To predict the occurrence of fetal growth restriction (FGR) by analyzing messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 [Flt-1]) in maternal blood. Study Design: Eleven women with FGR were matched with 88 controls. Plasma samples were obtained during each trimester. The Flt-1 mRNA expression levels were compared between groups. Predicted probabilities were calculated, and sensitivity-specificity (receiver-operating characteristic [ROC]) curves were assessed based on regression models for each trimester measurement and possible combinations of measurements. Results: The mRNA levels of the FGR group during all trimesters were significantly higher than those of the control group. The ROC curve of combined first and second trimester data yielded a detection rate of 60% at a 10% false-positive rate, with an area under curve of 0.79. Conclusion: The Flt-1 mRNA expression in maternal blood can be used as a marker to predict the development of FGR, long before a clinical diagnosis is made.
Objectives
Depression is a psychiatric disorder that affects about 10% of the world’s population and is accompanied by anxiety. Depression and anxiety are often caused by various stresses. However, the etiology of depression and anxiety remains unknown. It has been reported that alpha2-antiplasmin (α2AP) not only inhibits plasmin but also has various functions such as cytokine production and cell growth. This study aimed to determine the roles of α2AP on the stress-induced depression and anxiety.
Methods
We investigated the mild repeated restraint stress-induced depressive and anxiety-like behavior in the α2AP+/+ and α2AP−/− mice using the social interaction test (SIT), sucrose preference test (SPT), and elevated plus maze (EPM).
Results
The stresses such as the mild repeated restraint stress suppressed α2AP expression in the hippocampus of mice, and the treatment of fluoxetine (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor [SSRI]) recovered the stress-caused α2AP suppression. We also showed that α2AP deficiency promoted the mild restraint stress-stimulated depression-like behavior such as social withdrawal and apathy and apoptosis in mice. In contrast, α2AP deficiency attenuated the mild restraint stress induced the anxiety-like behavior in mice.
Conclusions
α2AP affects the pathogenesis of depression and anxiety induced by stress.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.