Placental ABCA1 and ABCG1 expression in gestational disease: pre-eclampsia affects ABCA1 levels in syncytiotrophoblasts

Baumann, M.; Körner, M.; Huang, X.; Wenger, F.; Surbek, D.; Albrecht, C. (2013). Placental ABCA1 and ABCG1 expression in gestational disease: pre-eclampsia affects ABCA1 levels in syncytiotrophoblasts. Placenta, 34(11), pp. 1079-1086. Elsevier 10.1016/j.placenta.2013.06.309

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INTRODUCTION

Transplacental feto-maternal lipid exchange through the ATP-binding cassette transporters ABCA1 and ABCG1 is important for normal fetal development. However, only scarce and conflicting data exist on the involvement of these transporters in gestational disease.

METHODS

Placenta samples (n = 72) derived from common gestational diseases, including pre-eclampsia (PE), HELLP, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy and gestational diabetes, were assessed for their ABCA1 and ABCG1 expression levels and compared to age-matched control placentas with qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. ABCA1 expression was additionally investigated with immunoblot in placental membrane vesicles. Furthermore, placental cholesterol and phospholipid contents were assessed.

RESULTS

ABCA1 mRNA levels differed significantly between preterm and term control placentas (p = 0.0013). They were down-regulated in isolated PE and PE with IUGR (p = 0.0006 and p = 0.0012, respectively), but unchanged in isolated IUGR, isolated HELLP and other gestational diseases compared to gestational age-matched controls. Correspondingly, in PE, ABCA1 protein expression was significantly reduced in the apical membrane of the villous syncytiotrophoblast (p = 0.011) and in villous fetal endothelial cells (p = 0.036). Furthermore, in PE there was a significant increase in the placental content of total and individual classes of phospholipids which were partially correlated with diminished ABCA1 expression. Conversely, ABCG1 mRNA and protein levels were stable in the investigated conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

In gestational disease, there is a specific down-regulation of placental ABCA1 expression at sites of feto-maternal lipid exchange in PE. At a functional level, the increase in placental lipid concentrations provides indirect evidence of an impaired transport capacity of ABCA1 in this disease.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Service Sector > Institute of Pathology
04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Endocrinology (DFKE) > Clinic of Gynaecology
04 Faculty of Medicine > Pre-clinic Human Medicine > Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine

UniBE Contributor:

Baumann, Marc, Körner Jachertz, Meike, Huang, Xiao, Surbek, Daniel, Albrecht, Christiane

Subjects:

500 Science > 570 Life sciences; biology
600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

ISSN:

0143-4004

Publisher:

Elsevier

Language:

English

Submitter:

Patrizia Catucci

Date Deposited:

30 Apr 2014 11:51

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:29

Publisher DOI:

10.1016/j.placenta.2013.06.309

PubMed ID:

23880356

Uncontrolled Keywords:

ABCA1, ABCG1, IUGR, Placenta, Pre-eclampsia

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.43270

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/43270

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