Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 2022; 82(10): e165
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1757059
Abstracts | DGGG

Investigations on in vitro decidualization and relaxin effects in human endometrial stromal cells to elucidate mechanisms in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia

Authors

  • C Springer

    1   Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Klinik für Geburtshilfe, Gynäkologie und Reproduktionsmedizin, Hannover, Deutschland

  • B Schröder-Heurich

    1   Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Klinik für Geburtshilfe, Gynäkologie und Reproduktionsmedizin, Hannover, Deutschland

  • K Richter

    1   Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Klinik für Geburtshilfe, Gynäkologie und Reproduktionsmedizin, Hannover, Deutschland

  • F von Versen-Höynck

    1   Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Klinik für Geburtshilfe, Gynäkologie und Reproduktionsmedizin, Hannover, Deutschland
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Study aims Preeclampsia risk is higher in pregnancies lacking a corpus luteum. It has been suggested that the absence of the corpus luteum product relaxin-2 may have an impact on preeclampsia incidence. While aberrant decidualization contributes to the pathophysiology we investigated the effect of relaxin-2 on decidualization and the angiogenic profile of endometrial stromal cells (hESC).

Materials/methods In vitro decidualization and relaxin-2 treatments were performed on TERT-immortalized hESC (T hESC). Relaxin-2 receptor (RXFP1) protein expression was determined by immunoblot and morphological changes were examined using F-actin staining. QRT-PCR was performed to measure mRNA expression levels of decidualization markers (prolactin and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGFBP1)), pro-angiogenic (vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and placental growth factor (PlGF)) and anti-angiogenic markers (endoglin (Eng) and soluble Fsm-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1)).

Results T HESC expressed RXFP1, but this decreased with decidualization. Morphology was altered by both decidualization and relaxin-2 treatment. In decidualized T hESC, mRNA expression of prolactin, IGFBP1, and VEGF was higher compared to non-decidualized T hESC, while mRNA expression of sFlt-1 and ENG was reduced. Treatment of T hESC with relaxin-2 increased mRNA expression levels of prolactin, IGFBP1, and sFlt-1 while VEGF and PlGF remained unchanged. Eng mRNA expression level was reduced.

Conclusion The results indicate a role of relaxin-2 in decidualization and the regulation of the angiogenic profile of hESC. This data can serve as a basis for more extensive studies on relaxin-2 effects and suggest a molecular connection between low relaxin-2 concentrations and the development of preeclampsia.


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Ich erkläre als korrespondierender Autor, dass meine Koautoren mir mitgeteilt haben, dass sie während der letzten 3 Jahre keine wirtschaftlichen oder persönlichen Verbindungen im oben genannten Sinne hatten. Auch ich selbst hatte keine derartigen Verbindungen in den letzten 3 Jahren.

Publication History

Article published online:
11 October 2022

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