Insulin Therapy in Pregnancy Hypertensive Diseases and its Effect on the Offspring and Mother Later in Life

NFKB1-mediated downregulation of microRNA-106a promotes oxidative stress injury and insulin resistance in mice with gestational hypertension

This study intended to investigate the role of NFKB1 in oxidative stress injury and insulin resistance in gestational hypertension (GH) mice. Following establishment of a GH mouse model by high-fat diet, NFKB1, miR-106a, and FLOT2 expression was detected in liver of mice. After NFKB1, miR-106a, and FLOT2 were altered in GH mice by lentiviral vector, oxidative stress markers in liver tissues were examined by colorimetry, and insulin resistance was assessed by fasting blood glucose and fasting insulin levels. Next, hepatocytes were isolated from GH mice and treated with miR-106a mimic, inhibitor or siRNA, followed by determination of hepatocyte apoptosis and the expression of inflammation- and apoptosis-related factors. Evaluation of the correlations among NFKB1, miR-106a, and FLOT2 were conducted. Liver of GH mice harbored NFKB1 and FLOT2 upregulation and miR-106a downregulation. miR-106a was transcriptionally inhibited by NFKB1, and negatively targeted FLOT2. Oxidative stress injury and insulin resistance in GH mice and apoptosis and inflammation of hepatocytes from GH mice were decreased after silencing NFKB1 or FLOT2 or overexpressing miR-106a. These findings provided evidence demonstrating the inhibitory effect of NFKB1 silencing on oxidative stress injury and insulin resistance in GH mice via miR-106a upregulation and FLOT2 downregulation.

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in early-onset and late-onset preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific syndrome with multisystem involvement which leads to foetal, neonatal, and maternal morbidity and mortality. This syndrome is characterized by the onset of clinical signs and symptoms and delivery before (early-onset preeclampsia, eoPE), or after (late-onset preeclampsia, loPE), the 34 weeks of gestation. Preeclampsia is a mitochondrial disorder where its differential involvement in eoPE and loPE is unclear. Mitochondria regulate cell metabolism and are a significant source of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The syncytiotrophoblast in eoPE and loPE show altered mitochondrial structure and function resulting in ROS overproduction, oxidative stress, and cell damage and death. Mitochondrial dysfunction in eoPE may result from altered expression of several molecules, including dynamin-related protein 1 and mitofusins, compared with loPE where these factors are either reduced or unaltered. Equally, mitochondrial fusion/fission dynamics seem differentially modulated in eoPE and loPE. It is unclear whether the electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation are differentially altered in these two subgroups of preeclampsia. However, the activity of complex IV (cytochrome c oxidase) and the expression of essential proteins involved in the electron transport chain are reduced, leading to lower oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial respiration in the preeclamptic placenta. Interventional studies in patients with preeclampsia using the coenzyme Q₁₀, a key molecule in the electron transport chain, suggest that agents that increase the antioxidative capacity of the placenta may be protective against preeclampsia development. In this review, the mitochondrial dysfunction in both eoPE and loPE is summarized. Therapeutic approaches are discussed in the context of contributing to the understanding of mitochondrial dysfunction in eoPE and loPE.

Laminins Regulate Placentation and Pre-eclampsia: Focus on Trophoblasts and Endothelial Cells

Pre-eclampsia is a systemic vascular disease characterized by new-onset hypertension and/or proteinuria at ≥20 weeks of gestation and leads to high rates of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Despite the incomplete understanding of pre-eclampsia pathophysiology, it is accepted that insufficient spiral artery remodeling and endothelial dysfunction are major contributors. Laminins (LNs) are a vital family of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules present in basement membranes that provide unique spatial and molecular information to regulate implantation and placentation. LNs interact with cell surface receptors to trigger intracellular signals that affect cellular behavior. This mini-review summarizes the role of LNs in placental development during normal pregnancy. Moreover, it describes how LN deficiency can lead to the pre-eclampsia, which is associated with trophoblast and vascular endothelial dysfunction. New research directions and the prospect of clinical diagnosis of LN deficiency are discussed, and the gaps in basic and clinical research in this field are highlighted.