Gene expression of nitric oxide synthase by human umbilical vein endothelial cells: the effect of fetal plasma from pregnancy with umbilical placental vascular disease.

To determine whether endothelial cell injury would be produced by factor(s) released into the fetal circulation, manifested by altered messenger RNA expression of nitric oxide synthase. Case-control study. University teaching hospital. Fetal plasma was collected from 34 normal pregnancies, 44 pregnancies with umbilical placental vascular disease identified by an abnormal umbilical Doppler and 11 pregnancies with maternal pre-eclampsia but with normal umbilical Doppler studies. Aliquots from a common culture of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were incubated with fetal plasma from the members of the three patient groups. The total RNA was extracted from the endothelial cells and mRNA for nitric oxide synthase was measured by reverse transcription and semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This was standardised by comparison of the amplified inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) or endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) to glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Endothelial cell gene expression of iNOS and ecNOS. The mRNA expression of iNOS and ecNOS were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in HUVECs stimulated by fetal plasma from pregnancies with umbilical placental vascular disease [iNOS 1.12 (0.16); ecNOS 1.78 (0.18)] when compared with normal pregnancies [iNOS 0.56 (0.06); ecNOS 1.06 (0.10)]. In the maternal pre-eclampsia group, the NOS expression [iNOS 0.76 (0.11); ecNOS 1.39 (0.26)] did not differ from normal pregnancy. In the vascular disease group, there was no difference in NOS expression between the subgroups with and without maternal pre-eclampsia. Our study demonstrates that umbilical placental vascular disease is associated with a factor(s) in fetal plasma that produces an increase in the expression of iNOS and ecNOS mRNA by endothelial cells. Our findings raise the possibility that the release of factors causing an up-regulation of iNOS and ecNOS in the endothelium in the fetal placenta may occur as part of an inflammatory response of the vascular endothelium to injury.

Wang X ，Wang J ，Trudinger B 《BJOG-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY》

Maternal plasma from pregnant women with umbilical placental vascular disease does not affect endothelial cell mRNA expression of nitric oxide synthase.

Wang X ，Athayde N ，Trudinger B 《journal of the society for gynecologic investigation》

Egr-1 transcription activation exists in placental endothelium when vascular disease is present.

Wang X ，Athayde N ，Trudinger B 《BJOG-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY》

Microvascular endothelial cell activation is present in the umbilical placental microcirculation in fetal placental vascular disease.

Wang X ，Athayde N ，Trudinger B 《AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY》

Placental expression of endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase mRNA in pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia.

Nasiell J ，Nisell H ，Blanck A ，Lunell NO ，Faxén M ... -  《ACTA OBSTETRICIA ET GYNECOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA》