Abstract
Genes involved in invasion of trophoblast cells and angiogenesis are crucial in determining pregnancy outcome. We therefore studied expression profiles of these genes in both fetal and maternal tissues to enhance our understanding of feto-maternal dialogue. We investigated the expression of genes involved in trophoblast invasion, namely Kiss1, Kiss1 Receptor (Kiss1R) and MMP9 as well as the expression of angiogenic ligands Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A (VEGF-A) and Prokineticin-1 (PROK1) and their respective receptors (VEGFR1, VEGFR2 and PROK1R) across the feto-maternal interface of healthy human pregnancies. The placenta, placental bed and decidua parietalis were sampled at elective caesarean delivery. Real-time RT-PCR was used to investigate transcription, while immunohistochemistry and western blot analyses were utilized to study protein expression. We found that the expression of Kiss1 (p
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | e63574 |
Journal | PLoS ONE |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 16 May 2013 |
Keywords
- Female
- Gastrointestinal Hormones
- Humans
- Immunohistochemistry
- Kisspeptins
- Matrix Metalloproteinase 9
- Placenta
- Pregnancy
- Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
- Trophoblasts
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Endocrine-Gland-Derived