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Vrachnis D, Fotiou A, Mantzou A, Pergialiotis V, Antsaklis P, Valsamakis G, Stavros S, Machairiotis N, Iavazzo C, Kanaka-Gantenbein C, Mastorakos G, Drakakis P, Vrachnis N, Antonakopoulos N. Second Trimester Amniotic Fluid Angiotensinogen Levels Linked to Increased Fetal Birth Weight and Shorter Gestational Age in Term Pregnancies. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:206. [PMID: 38398716 PMCID: PMC10890398 DOI: 10.3390/life14020206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the considerable progress made in recent years in fetal assessment, the etiology of fetal growth disturbances is not as yet well understood. In an effort to enhance our knowledge in this area, we investigated the associations of the amniotic fluid angiotensinogen of the renin-angiotensin system with fetal growth abnormalities. METHODS We collected amniotic fluid samples from 70 pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis during their early second trimester. Birth weight was documented upon delivery, after which the embryos corresponding to the respective amniotic fluid samples were categorized into three groups as follows: small for gestational age (SGA), appropriate for gestational age (AGA), and large for gestational age (LGA). Amniotic fluid angiotensinogen levels were determined by using ELISA kits. RESULTS Mean angiotensinogen values were 3885 ng/mL (range: 1625-5375 ng/mL), 4885 ng/mL (range: 1580-8460 ng/mL), and 4670 ng/mL (range: 1995-7250 ng/mL) in the SGA, LGA, and AGA fetuses, respectively. The concentrations in the three groups were not statistically significantly different. Although there were wide discrepancies between the mean values of the subgroups, the large confidence intervals in the three groups negatively affected the statistical analysis. However, multiple regression analysis revealed a statistically significant negative correlation between the angiotensinogen levels and gestational age and a statistically significant positive correlation between the birth weight and angiotensinogen levels. DISCUSSION Our findings suggest that fetal growth abnormalities did not correlate with differences in the amniotic fluid levels of angiotensinogen in early second trimester pregnancies. However, increased angiotensinogen levels were found to be consistent with a smaller gestational age at birth and increased BMI of neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dionysios Vrachnis
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 11527 Athens, Greece; (D.V.); (A.F.)
| | - Alexandros Fotiou
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 11527 Athens, Greece; (D.V.); (A.F.)
| | - Aimilia Mantzou
- Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (A.M.); (C.K.-G.)
| | - Vasilios Pergialiotis
- First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Alexandra Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece; (V.P.); (P.A.)
| | - Panagiotis Antsaklis
- First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Alexandra Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece; (V.P.); (P.A.)
| | - George Valsamakis
- Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Aretaieion Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece;
| | - Sofoklis Stavros
- Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Attikon Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece; (S.S.); (N.M.); (P.D.)
| | - Nikolaos Machairiotis
- Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Attikon Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece; (S.S.); (N.M.); (P.D.)
| | - Christos Iavazzo
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Metaxa Memorial Cancer Hospital of Piraeus, 18537 Piraeus, Greece;
| | - Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein
- Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (A.M.); (C.K.-G.)
| | - George Mastorakos
- Unit of Endocrinology, Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolism, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Aretaieion Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece;
| | - Petros Drakakis
- Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Attikon Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece; (S.S.); (N.M.); (P.D.)
| | - Nikolaos Vrachnis
- Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Attikon Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece; (S.S.); (N.M.); (P.D.)
- Vascular Biology, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Nikolaos Antonakopoulos
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Patras, Medical School, University of Patras, 26504 Patra, Greece
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Vaswani K, Chan HW, Verma P, Dekker Nitert M, Peiris HN, Wood-Bradley RJ, Armitage JA, Rice GE, Mitchell MD. The rat placental renin-angiotensin system - a gestational gene expression study. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2015; 13:89. [PMID: 26260700 PMCID: PMC4532142 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-015-0088-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The placenta is an essential organ that provides nutrients and oxygen to the developing fetus and removes toxic waste products from the fetal circulation. Maintaining placental blood osmotic pressure and blood flow is crucial for viable offspring. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the placenta is a key player in the regulation of maternal-fetal blood flow during pregnancy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine if RAS genes are differentially expressed in mid to late gestation in rat placenta. METHODS Whole placental tissue samples from pregnant Sprague Dawley rats at embryonic (E) days 14.25, 15.25, 17.25 and 20 (n = 6 for each gestational age) were used for genome-wide gene expression by microarray. RAS genes with expression differences of >2 fold were further analyzed. Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qPCR) was performed on independent samples to confirm and validate microarray data. Immunohistochemisty and Western blotting were performed on a differentially expressed novel RAS pathway gene (ANPEP). RESULTS Six out of 17 genes of the RAS pathway were differentially expressed at different gestational ages. Gene expression of four genes (Angiotensin converting enzyme (Ace), angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (Ace2), membrane metalloendopeptidase (Mme) and angiotensin II receptor 1A (Agtr1a)) were significantly upregulated at E20 whereas two others (Thimet oligopeptidase 1 (Thop1) and Alanyl aminopeptidase (Anpep)) were downregulated at E20 prior to the onset of labour. These changes were confirmed by qPCR. Western blots revealed no overall differences in ANPEP protein expression in the placentae. Immunohistochemical studies, however, indicated that the localization of ANPEP differed at E17.25 and E20 as ANPEP localization in the giant trophoblast cell of the junctional zone was no longer detectable at E20. CONCLUSIONS The current study investigated the expression of members of the RAS pathway in rat placentae and observed significantly altered expression of 6 RAS genes at 4 gestational ages. These findings present the need for further comprehensive investigation of RAS genes in normal and complicated pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanchan Vaswani
- Centre for Clinical Diagnostics, University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Campus, Building 71/918, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, QLD, 4029, Australia.
| | - Hsiu-Wen Chan
- Centre for Clinical Diagnostics, University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Campus, Building 71/918, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, QLD, 4029, Australia.
| | - Pali Verma
- Centre for Clinical Diagnostics, University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Campus, Building 71/918, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, QLD, 4029, Australia.
| | - Marloes Dekker Nitert
- Centre for Clinical Diagnostics, University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Campus, Building 71/918, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, QLD, 4029, Australia.
| | - Hassendrini N Peiris
- Centre for Clinical Diagnostics, University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Campus, Building 71/918, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, QLD, 4029, Australia.
| | - Ryan J Wood-Bradley
- Department of Anatomy & Developmental Biology Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
- School of Medicine (Optometry), Deakin University, Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| | - James A Armitage
- Department of Anatomy & Developmental Biology Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
- School of Medicine (Optometry), Deakin University, Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| | - Gregory E Rice
- Centre for Clinical Diagnostics, University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Campus, Building 71/918, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, QLD, 4029, Australia.
| | - Murray D Mitchell
- Centre for Clinical Diagnostics, University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Campus, Building 71/918, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, QLD, 4029, Australia.
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Abstract
Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder that is unique to pregnancy, with consistent involvement of the kidney. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. In the gravid state, in addition to the RAS in the kidney, there is a tissue-based RAS in the uteroplacental unit. Increased renin expression in human preeclampsia and in transgenic mouse models with a human preeclampsia-like syndrome shows that activation of the uteroplacental RAS, with angiotensin II entering the systemic circulation, may mediate the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Vascular maladaptation in preeclampsia with increased vasomotor tone, endothelial dysfunction, and increased sensitivity to angiotensin II and norepinephrine in manifest preeclampsia may be explained on the basis of angiotensin II-mediated mechanisms through angiotensin receptor type I (AT1) activation. Recently, novel angiotensin II-related biomolecular mechanisms have been described in preeclampsia. These include AT1 and bradykinin B2 receptor heterodimerization and the production of autoantibody against AT1. Various organ systems with predilection for involvement in preeclampsia are sites of tissue-based RAS. Angiotensin II-mediated mechanisms may explain the primary clinicopathologic features of preeclampsia. In this review, these various aspects are critically examined and an integrated concept on the role of RAS in preeclampsia is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinesh M Shah
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, University of Wisconsin/Meriter, 202 S. Park Street, Madison, WI 53715, USA.
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