Gene expression profile in cardiovascular disease and preeclampsia: a meta-analysis of the transcriptome based on raw data from human studies deposited in Gene Expression Omnibus

INTRODUCTION

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and preeclampsia (PE) share common clinical features. We aimed to identify common transcriptomic signatures involved in CVD and PE in humans.

METHODS

Meta-analysis of individual raw microarray data deposited in GEO, obtained from blood samples of patients with CVD versus controls and placental samples from women with PE versus healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Annotation of cases versus control samples was taken directly from the microarray documentation. Genes that showed a significant differential expression in the majority of experiments were selected for subsequent analysis. Hypergeometric gene list analysis was performed using Bioconductor GOstats package. Bioinformatic analysis was performed in PANTHER.

RESULTS

Seven studies in CVD and 5 studies in PE were eligible for meta-analysis. A total of 181 genes were found to be differentially expressed in microarray studies investigating gene expression in blood samples obtained from patients with CVD compared to controls and 925 genes were differentially expressed between preeclamptic and healthy placentas. Among these differentially expressed genes, 22 were common between CVD and PE.

DISCUSSION

Bioinformatic analysis of these genes revealed oxidative stress, p-53 pathway feedback, inflammation mediated by chemokines and cytokines, interleukin signaling, B-cell activation, PDGF signaling, Wnt signaling, integrin signaling and Alzheimer disease pathways to be involved in the pathophysiology of both CVD and PE. Metabolism, development, response to stimulus, immune response and cell communication were the associated biologic processes in both conditions. Gene set enrichment analysis showed the following overlapping pathways between CVD and PE: TGF-β-signaling, apoptosis, graft-versus-host disease, allograft rejection, chemokine signaling, steroid hormone synthesis, type I and II diabetes mellitus, VEGF signaling, pathways in cancer, GNRH signaling, Huntingtons disease and Notch signaling.

CONCLUSION

CVD and PE share same common traits in their gene expression profile indicating common pathways in their pathophysiology.

Pregnancy protects against antiangiogenic and fibrogenic effects of angiotensin II in rat hearts

AIM

To investigate the difference between physiological and pathological cardiac remodelling induced, respectively, by pregnancy and angiotensin (Ang) II, and to test the hypothesis that pregnancy protects against Ang II effects.

METHODS

Female Wistar rats, pregnant (n = 12) and non-pregnant (n = 12), were implanted with mini-pumps containing saline (sham) or 150 ng kg(-1) min(-1) Ang II. Ten days later echocardiography and blood pressure measurement were performed. Expression of 22 genes was assessed using RT-PCR. Microscopic sections of LV were prepared to determine collagen content (Sirius Red staining), vessel density (β-actin immunolabelling) and myocytes diameter (Toluidine Blue).

RESULTS

Heart weight (HW) was increased in Ang II treated groups compared with their controls. Furthermore, HW of Ang II treated pregnant rats (1.0 ± 0.03 g) was higher than that in non-pregnant sham (0.7 ± 0.02 g), pregnant (0.8 ± 0.01 g) and Ang II treated non-pregnant (0.8 ± 0.02 g) rats. Relative LV wall thickness showed similar pattern. Aortic pressure was significantly increased in Ang II groups. Collagen content was increased in Ang II (4.0 ± 0.5%) compared with sham (1.5 ± 0.1%) but reduced again when treated rats were pregnant (2.8 ± 0.4%). Vessel density was reduced by 47.8% after Ang II treatment in non-pregnant and by only 13.9% in pregnant rats. Gene expression analysis showed increased expression of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), anykrin repeat domain-containing protein 1 (Ankrd-1), protein kinase C-α and -δ and tumour suppressor gene TP53 (p53) in Ang II treated groups and upregulation of ANF, BNP and Ankrd-1 remained when pregnancy was combined with Ang II. Pregnancy reduced expression of: α-myosin heavy chain, tumour necrosis factor-α, p53, endothelial nitric oxide synthase and inducible nitric oxide synthase.

CONCLUSION

Pregnancy seems to counteract the detrimental effects of Ang II on fibrosis and angiogenesis in heart. In addition, pregnancy and Ang II lead to partly opposite changes in the expression of some genes important for heart function.

Experimental validation of uterine artery volume blood flow measurement by Doppler ultrasonography in pregnant sheep

OBJECTIVE

To test the hypothesis that Doppler-derived (calculated) uterine artery volume blood flow (cQ(UtA)) reflects accurately volume blood flow measured directly (mQ(UtA)) in an experimental setting.

METHODS

Five pregnant sheep were instrumented at 122-130 days of gestation under general anesthesia. After a 4-day recovery period, maternal hemodynamics were varied by administering to the sheep under general anesthesia noradrenaline, beta-blocker, low oxygen gas mixture, epidural bupivacaine and ephedrine, consecutively. The central venous pressure was obtained with the help of a thermodilution catheter. The mean arterial pressure and acid-base status were monitored using a 16-gauge polyurethane catheter inserted into the descending aorta via a femoral artery. A 6-mm transit-time ultrasonic perivascular flow probe was used to measure the mQ(UtA). Doppler ultrasonography of the uterine artery was performed and volume blood flow was obtained simultaneously by the transit-time ultrasonic perivascular flow probe during each phase of the experiment.

RESULTS

A total of 31 observations were made. The mQ(UtA) varied between 90 and 800 (mean +/- SD, 419 +/- 206) mL/min during the experiments. The corresponding values for the cQ(UtA) were 110 and 900 (mean +/- SD, 459 +/- 211) mL/min. There was a significant correlation (R = 0.76; P < 0.0001) between mQ(UtA) and cQ(UtA). The mQ(UtA) correlated positively with Doppler-derived uterine artery absolute velocities, i.e. peak systolic (R = 0.50; P = 0.004), end-diastolic (R = 0.53; P = 0.002) and time-averaged maximum (R = 0.69; P < 0.0001) and time-averaged intensity weighted mean (R = 0.75; P < 0.0001) velocities.

CONCLUSION

cQ(UtA) correlates well with volume blood flow measured directly. Doppler-derived uterine artery absolute blood flow velocities reflect uteroplacental volume blood flow in pregnant sheep. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.