Role of Prolactin in the Regulation of Bicarbonates Biodynamics in Female Rat Model of Cholestasis of Pregnancy

Molecular Pathogenesis of Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a pregnancy-specific liver disease. The maternal symptoms are characterized by skin pruritus and elevated bile acids, causing several adverse outcomes for fetuses, including an increased risk of preterm birth, meconium-stained amniotic fluid, neonatal depression, respiratory distress syndrome, and stillbirth. Genetic, hormonal, immunological, and environmental factors contribute to the pathogenesis of ICP, and the estrogen-bile acid axis is thought to play a dominant role. The advances in the past 10 years uncover more details of this axis. Moreover, dysregulation of extracellular matrix and oxygen supply, organelle dysfunction, and epigenetic changes are also found to cause ICP, illuminating more potential drug targets for interfering with. Here, we summarize the molecular pathogenesis of ICP with an emphasis on the advancement in the past 10 years, aiming to give an updated full view of this field.

Molecular Targets of Natriuretic Action of Prolactin in the Rat Model of Cholestasis of Pregnancy

We analyzed the expression of molecular targets of natriuretic action of prolactin in different layers of the kidney in the rat model of cholestasis of pregnancy. Sodium bicarbonate cotransporter NBCe1 was most sensitive to the conditions of cholestasis and cholestasis of pregnancy: the expression NBCe1 mRNA and protein in the renal outer medulla decreased in comparison with the normal. All forms of cholestasis affected the mRNA expression of sodium-potassium chloride co-transporter NCC, α-subunit of the ENaCα epithelial sodium channel, and Nedd4-2 ubiquitin ligase in different layers of the kidney. The obtained data suggest that prolactin provides fine tuning of various sodium transporters in different parts of the nephron under pathological conditions.