Human Placental Tissue Contains A Placental Lactogen–Derived Vasoinhibin

Abstract

Hormonal factors impacting the vascular adaptions of the uteroplacental unit in non-complicated and complicated pregnancies are of interest. Here, 4 human placentas from women with and without preeclampsia were investigated for the presence of placental lactogen derived, antiangiogenic vasoinhibin. Western blotting and mass spectrometry of placental tissue revealed the presence of a 9 kDa placental lactogen derived vasoinhibin, the normal 22 kDa full-length placental lactogen, and a 28 kDa immunoreactive protein of undetermined nature. The sequence of the 9 kDa vasoinhibin includes the antiangiogenic determinant of vasoinhibin and could constitute a relevant factor in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia.

Prolactin and vasoinhibin are endogenous players in diabetic retinopathy revisited

“…It became evident that the 16 kDa N-terminal fragment is not the only fragment with antiangiogenic effects, and that multiple isoforms with a large variation in molecular mass exist, their size being determined by the PRL-cleaving enzyme and its cleavage site location within the PRL molecule. The isoforms were collectively called vasoinhibin (47-49), including similar proteins generated by the proteolytic cleavage of GH and placental lactogen (PL) (50,51). A strong role of vasoinhibin as a regulator of ocular angiogenesis and vascular function evolved, and with reference to existing reviews (52)(53)(54)(55), and 11 years after PRL and vasoinhibin were first portrayed as endogenous players in DR (56), the following discussion will focus on key principles and significant developments in the recent years (Table 1).…”