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Molecular Studies of Female Pregnancy Disorders
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Molecular Studies of Female Pregnancy Disorders

A special issue of Current Issues in Molecular Biology (ISSN 1467-3045). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 12063

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Alicia Rodríguez-Barbero

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Departamento de Fisiología y Farmacología, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
2. Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
Interests: cardiovascular physiology; cardiovascular pathophysiology; tumor angiogenesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As an experienced researcher in women’s health and pregnancy disorders, we would like to invite you to submit a manuscript to a Special Issue in Current Issues in Molecular Biology about Molecular Studies of Female Pregnancy Disorders.

Current Issues in Molecular Biology is an international, scientific, peer-reviewed, open access journal on molecular biology, published monthly online. As Guest Editor, we would like to develop an Issue that considers articles related to the pathophysiology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of pregnancy disorders and will serve as an international platform for sharing laboratory and clinical findings by offering a high-visibility forum for new insights and discussions among scientists and physicians.

The journal has a distinguished Editorial Board with extensive academic qualifications, ensuring that the journal maintains high scientific standards and has a broad international coverage.

With this in mind, we invite you to submit your next research article for publication in the journal.

We look forward to receiving the valuable contribution form the researchers and academicians all around the world.

Prof. Dr. Alicia Rodríguez-Barbero
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Current Issues in Molecular Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pre-eclampsia
  • female pregnancy disorders
  • pathophysiology, prevention, and diagnosis

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 7839 KiB  
Communication
The Role of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor in Vascular Factors Related to Preeclampsia in a Smoking Mouse Model
by Ho-Yeon Kim, Ye-Seon Seok, Hye-Yeon Moon, Geum-Joon Cho, Ki-Hoon Ahn, Soon-Cheol Hong, Min-Jeong Oh and Hai-Joong Kim
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2024, 46(1), 741-752; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb46010048 - 16 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1184
Abstract
Smoking cigarettes is known to lower the risk of preeclampsia. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of smoking on the expression of soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and endoglin (sEng)-1 and the role of [...] Read more.
Smoking cigarettes is known to lower the risk of preeclampsia. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of smoking on the expression of soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and endoglin (sEng)-1 and the role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in pregnant mice. We developed a smoking mouse model using a gas-filling system. One or two cigarettes per day were exposed to each of the five pregnant mice for five days a week throughout pregnancy. AhR agonist and antagonist were injected. Serum levels and expression in the placenta of sFlt-1, VEGF, and sEng-1 were analyzed and compared among the cigarette smoke and no-exposure groups after delivery. Compared to the no-smoke exposure group, the serum level of sFlt-1 was significantly decreased in the two-cigarette-exposed group (p < 0.001). When the AhR antagonist was added to the two-cigarette-exposed group, sFlt-1 levels were significantly increased compared to the two-cigarette group (p = 0.002). The levels of sFlt-1 in the AhR antagonist group did not change regardless of two-cigarette exposure (p = 0.064). With the AhR agonist, sFlt-1 decreased significantly compared to the control (p = 0.001) and AhR antagonist group (p = 0.002). The sFlt-1 level was significantly decreased after the injection of the AhR agonist compared to the control group (p = 0.001). Serum levels of VEGF were significantly decreased in the one-cigarette-exposed group compared to the control group; however, there was no difference between the control and the two-cigarette-exposed groups. The placental expression of sFlt-1, VEGF, and sEng were inconsistent. This study offers insights into the potential role of AhR on antiangiogenic sFlt-1 associated with preeclampsia. It may support the invention of a new treatment strategy for preeclampsia using AhR activation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Studies of Female Pregnancy Disorders)
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12 pages, 653 KiB  
Communication
Altered Blood Molecular Markers of Cardiovascular Function in Rats after Intrauterine Hypoxia and Drug Therapy
by Olena Popazova, Igor Belenichev, Oleh Yadlovskyi, Valentyn Oksenych and Aleksandr Kamyshnyi
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(11), 8704-8715; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45110547 - 30 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1458
Abstract
Many children and adults who have suffered prenatal hypoxia at an early age develop many serious diseases. This disease is an actual problem of pediatric cardiology and little studied. The aim was to analyze the cardioprotective effect of L-arginine, Thiotriazoline, Angioline, and Mildronate [...] Read more.
Many children and adults who have suffered prenatal hypoxia at an early age develop many serious diseases. This disease is an actual problem of pediatric cardiology and little studied. The aim was to analyze the cardioprotective effect of L-arginine, Thiotriazoline, Angioline, and Mildronate on the cardiovascular system of rats after prenatal hypoxia. Methods: The experiments were carried out on 50 female white rats; intraperitoneal sodium nitrite solution was administered daily to pregnant female rats after 16 days at a dose of 50 mg/kg. Control pregnant rats received saline. The offspring were divided into groups: 1—intact; 2—the control group of rat pups after PH, treated daily with physiological saline; 3—six groups of rat pups after PH, treated daily from the 1st to the 30th day after birth. Heat shock protein HSP70 was determined by enzyme immunoassay, ST2 Nitrotyrosine, and eNOS was observed by ELISA. Results: Angiolin showed a high cardioprotective effect even a month after discontinuation of the drug, and after introduction, the highest decrease in ST2 nitrotyrosine was revealed. Thiotriazoline and L-arginine have an antioxidant effect and a positive effect on eNOS expression, increasing the concentration of HSP70. Mildronate increased the expression of eNOS and the concentration of HSP70 in the blood of experimental rats after a course of administration, but did not show an antioxidant effect and did not reduce the concentration of nitrotyrosine. The results obtained indicate the cardioprotective effect of modulators of the NO system with different mechanisms of action of drugs after prenatal hypoxia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Studies of Female Pregnancy Disorders)
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14 pages, 2622 KiB  
Communication
HTRA1 in Placental Cell Models: A Possible Role in Preeclampsia
by Giovanni Tossetta, Sonia Fantone, Stefano Raffaele Giannubilo, Andrea Ciavattini, Martina Senzacqua, Andrea Frontini and Daniela Marzioni
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(5), 3815-3828; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45050246 - 1 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1733
Abstract
The HtrA serine peptidase 1 (HTRA1) is a multidomain secretory protein with serine–protease activity involved in the regulation of many cellular processes in both physiological and pathological conditions. HTRA1 is normally expressed in the human placenta, and its expression is higher in the [...] Read more.
The HtrA serine peptidase 1 (HTRA1) is a multidomain secretory protein with serine–protease activity involved in the regulation of many cellular processes in both physiological and pathological conditions. HTRA1 is normally expressed in the human placenta, and its expression is higher in the first trimester compared to the third trimester, suggesting an important role of this serine protease in the early phases of human placenta development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional role of HTRA1 in in vitro models of human placenta in order to define the role of this serine protease in preeclampsia (PE). BeWo and HTR8/SVneo cells expressing HTRA1 were used as syncytiotrophoblast and cytotrophoblast models, respectively. Oxidative stress was induced by treating BeWo and HTR8/SVneo cells with H2O2 to mimic PE conditions in order to evaluate its effect on HTRA1 expression. In addition, HTRA1 overexpression and silencing experiments were performed to evaluate the effects on syncytialization, cell mobility, and invasion processes. Our main data showed that oxidative stress significantly increased HTRA1 expression in both BeWo and HTR8/SVneo cells. In addition, we demonstrated that HTRA1 has a pivotal role in cell motility and invasion processes. In particular, HTRA1 overexpression increased while HTRA1 silencing decreased cell motility and invasion in HTR8/SVneo cell model. In conclusion, our results suggest an important role of HTRA1 in regulating extravillous cytotrophoblast invasion and motility during the early stage of placentation in the first trimester of gestation, suggesting a key role of this serine protease in PE onset. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Studies of Female Pregnancy Disorders)
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11 pages, 3103 KiB  
Article
The Expression of Testin, Ki-67 and p16 in Cervical Cancer Diagnostics
by Aneta Popiel-Kopaczyk, Jedrzej Grzegrzolka, Aleksandra Piotrowska, Mateusz Olbromski, Beata Smolarz, Hanna Romanowicz, Agnieszka Rusak, Monika Mrozowska, Piotr Dziegiel, Marzenna Podhorska-Okolow and Christopher Kobierzycki
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(1), 490-500; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45010032 - 5 Jan 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2933
Abstract
Testin is a protein expressed in normal human tissues, being responsible, with other cytoskeleton proteins, for the proper functioning of cell–cell junction areas and focal adhesion plaques. It takes part in the regulation of actin filament changes during cell spreading and motility. Loss [...] Read more.
Testin is a protein expressed in normal human tissues, being responsible, with other cytoskeleton proteins, for the proper functioning of cell–cell junction areas and focal adhesion plaques. It takes part in the regulation of actin filament changes during cell spreading and motility. Loss of heterozygosity in the testin-encoding gene results in altered protein expression in many malignancies, as partly described for cervical cancer. The aim of our study was the assessment of the immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of testin in cervical cancer and its analysis in regard to clinical data as well the expression of the Ki-67 antigen and p16 protein. Moreover, testin expression was assessed by Western blot (WB) in commercially available cell lines. The IHC analysis disclosed that the expression of testin inversely correlated with p16 (r = −0.2104, p < 0.0465) and Ki-67 expression (r = −0.2359, p < 0.0278). Moreover, weaker testin expression was observed in cancer cases vs. control ones (p < 0.0113). The WB analysis of testin expression in the cervical cancer cell lines corresponded to the IHC results and showed a weaker expression compared to that in the control cell line. When we compared the expression of testin in cervical cancer cell lines, we found a weaker expression in HPV-negative cell lines. In summary, we found that the intensity of testin expression and the number of positive cells inversely correlated with the expression of Ki-67 (a marker of proliferation) and p16 (a marker of cell cycle dysregulation). This study shows that the combined assessment of testin, Ki-67 and p16 expression may improve cervical cancer diagnostics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Studies of Female Pregnancy Disorders)
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Review

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26 pages, 1781 KiB  
Review
Relationship between Androgens and Vascular and Placental Function during Pre-eclampsia
by Lara M. Fernandes, Margarida Lorigo and Elisa Cairrao
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2024, 46(3), 1668-1693; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb46030108 - 21 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1548
Abstract
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) represent a substantial risk to maternal and fetal health. Emerging evidence suggests an association between testosterone and pre-eclampsia (PE), potentially mediated through androgen receptors (AR). Nevertheless, the mechanism driving this association is yet to be elucidated. On the [...] Read more.
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) represent a substantial risk to maternal and fetal health. Emerging evidence suggests an association between testosterone and pre-eclampsia (PE), potentially mediated through androgen receptors (AR). Nevertheless, the mechanism driving this association is yet to be elucidated. On the other hand, reports of transgender men’s pregnancies offer a limited and insightful opportunity to understand the role of high androgen levels in the development of HDP. In this sense, a literature review was performed from a little over 2 decades (1998–2022) to address the association of testosterone levels with the development of HDP. Furthermore, this review addresses the case of transgender men for the first time. The main in vitro outcomes reveal placenta samples with greater AR mRNA expression. Moreover, ex vivo studies show that testosterone-induced vasorelaxation impairment promotes hypertension. Epidemiological data point to greater testosterone levels in blood samples during PE. Studies with transgender men allow us to infer that exogenous testosterone administration can be considered a risk factor for PE and that the administration of testosterone does not affect fetal development. Overall, all studies analyzed suggested that high testosterone levels are associated with PE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Studies of Female Pregnancy Disorders)
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14 pages, 353 KiB  
Review
Pre-Eclampsia: From Etiology and Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Tools—A Review of the Literature
by Sara Tabacco, Silvia Ambrosii, Valentina Polsinelli, Ilaria Fantasia, Angela D’Alfonso, Manuela Ludovisi, Sandra Cecconi and Maurizio Guido
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(8), 6202-6215; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45080391 - 25 Jul 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2466
Abstract
Pre-eclampsia is a severe pregnancy-related complication that manifests as a syndrome with multisystem involvement and damage. It has significantly grown in frequency during the past 30 years and could be considered as one of the major causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and [...] Read more.
Pre-eclampsia is a severe pregnancy-related complication that manifests as a syndrome with multisystem involvement and damage. It has significantly grown in frequency during the past 30 years and could be considered as one of the major causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. However, the specific etiology and molecular mechanisms of pre-eclampsia are still poorly known and could have a variety of causes, such as altered angiogenesis, inflammations, maternal infections, obesity, metabolic disorders, gestational diabetes, and autoimmune diseases. Perhaps the most promising area under investigation is the imbalance of maternal angiogenic factors and its effects on vascular function, though studies in placental oxidative stress and maternal immune response have demonstrated intriguing findings. However, to determine the relative importance of each cause and the impact of actions aiming to significantly reduce the incidence of this illness, more research is needed. Moreover, it is necessary to better understand the etiologies of each subtype of pre-eclampsia as well as the pathophysiology of other major obstetrical syndromes to identify a clinical tool able to recognize patients at risk of pre-eclampsia early. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Studies of Female Pregnancy Disorders)
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