Targeting autophagy and proteinopathy provides sweet relief for preeclampsia
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: We have demonstrated that the etiology of preeclampsia (PE) is associated with protein aggregation, a pathologic paradigm observed in neurodegenerative diseases, and that impaired autophagy contributes to accumulation of protein aggregates. In search of therapeutic options for preeclampsia that inhibit protein aggregation and restore autophagy, we screened several small molecules and identified a class of disaccharides that may prove to be highly efficacious to treat and prevent this severe pregnancy complication. We used the human serum-based humanized PE mouse model to assess the effect of disaccharides on the onset of the syndrome. Mice were i.p. injected with vehicle, disaccharides (2g/kg) at gd9, gd11, and gd14. At gd17, urine was collected, blood pressure was measured, fetal weight was recorded, and placenta was collected and subjected to immunostaining and RNA sequencing. Trehalose and Lactotrehalose inhibited hypoxia-induced accumulation of aggregates and restored impaired autophagy-lysosomal machinery. Disaccharide administration significantly restored normal pregnancy features in PE mice as characterized by normalization of hypertension, proteinuria, growth restriction, and kidney injury. RNA-seq analysis identified some novel genes and pathways that are related to preeclampsia and normalized by disaccharides.
Project description:Preeclampsia (PE) is a common pregnancy disorder, and it complicates 5~7% of all pregnancies. At present, termination of pregnancy is the only curative strategy for PE. To explore a potential target for PE treatment, we collected placental tissue samples from patients with preeclampsia (PE) and normal pregnant women (N), and performed high-throughput RNA sequencing. We found that FOXP2 was significantly downregulated in placental samples of patients with PE compared with the controls.
Project description:Background: Platelets may be pivotal mediators of the thrombo-haemorrhagic complications of preeclampsia (PE), linking inflammation and thrombosis with endothelial and vascular dysfunction. While gestational hypertension (GH) falls within the spectrum of hypertensive complications of pregnancy and is a risk factor for preeclampsia, it is unclear what biomarkers distinguish PE from GH. Aim: To identify specific plasma and platelet thrombo-inflammatory biomarkers indicative of preeclampsia and distinguish PE from GH. Methods: We performed multiplex immunoassays, assessed platelet and plasma proteomics and metabolomics data of PE patients, and compared with non-pregnant (NP), healthy pregnant (PC) and GH participants. Results: We report plasma proteins upregulated, enriched plasma metabolites and proteins distinctly overexpressed in platelets of PE and GH compared to NP and PC. Whilst procoagulation in PC may be fibrinogen driven, Inter-Alpha-Trypsin Inhibitors ITIH2 and ITIH3 were enriched in hypertensive complications of pregnancy (PE and GH), and fibronectin and S100A8/9 may be major procoagulant agonists in PE but not GH. In addition, platelet leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 27 and 42 (LRRC27/42) subunits of volume-regulated VRAC anion channels were markedly overexpressed in preeclampsia and may contribute to the heightened glucose sensitivity and the pro-thrombotic tendency of this disorder. Additionally, our multiplex immunoassays confirmed previous reports of increases in preeclampsia plasma cytokines, including SDF-1α, which can directly activate platelets; but also, i-309 and CTACK cytokines, whose effects on platelets we explored using STRING analysis. Conclusion: We identified biomarkers that may be monitored for preeclampsia onset and progression, and distinguish PE from GH. Also, through protein-protein interactions analysis, we generated a new hypothesis for platelets’ contribution to the thrombo-inflammatory states of preeclampsia.
Project description:Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a placental disease characterized by hypertension and proteinuria in pregnant women, which is associated with a high maternal and infantile morbidity. However, circulating biomarkers able to predict the prognosis of PE are lacking. Methods: Thirty-eight women were included in the study. They consisted of 19 patients with PE (13 with severe PE and 6 women with non-severe PE) and 19 gestational age-matched normal pregnancy controls. We measured coagulation pathway, endothelial responses and microparticle release and circulating gene expression in PE patient groups and normotensive controls. Results: The measurement of markers associated with coagulation pathway, endothelial activation and circulating microparticles enabled to discriminate PE from normal pregnancy but were not sufficient to distinguish severe from non-severe PE. PE patients also exhibited a specific transcriptional program distinct from that of control women and subtle differences were observed between severe and non-severe PE. Functional annotation of the up-modulated signature in PE highlighted two main functions related to ribosome and complement. Importantly, we found that 8 genes were specifically up-modulated in severe preeclampsia. Among these genes, the expression of VSIG4 was significantly increased in patients with severe preeclampsia in comparison with controls and patients with non-severe preeclampsia. Conclusion: Using transcriptional signatures of blood samples, we identified the gene encoding the estrogen receptor as a potential diagnostic marker of severe preeclampsia. In addition, the determination of this gene may improve the prognostic assessment of severe preeclampsia.
Project description:Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a placental disease characterized by hypertension and proteinuria in pregnant women, which is associated with a high maternal and infantile morbidity. However, circulating biomarkers able to predict the prognosis of PE are lacking. Methods: Thirty-eight women were included in the study. They consisted of 19 patients with PE (13 with severe PE and 6 women with non-severe PE) and 19 gestational age-matched normal pregnancy controls. We measured coagulation pathway, endothelial responses and microparticle release and circulating gene expression in PE patient groups and normotensive controls. Results: The measurement of markers associated with coagulation pathway, endothelial activation and circulating microparticles enabled to discriminate PE from normal pregnancy but were not sufficient to distinguish severe from non-severe PE. PE patients also exhibited a specific transcriptional program distinct from that of control women and subtle differences were observed between severe and non-severe PE. Functional annotation of the up-modulated signature in PE highlighted two main functions related to ribosome and complement. Importantly, we found that 8 genes were specifically up-modulated in severe preeclampsia. Among these genes, the expression of VSIG4 was significantly increased in patients with severe preeclampsia in comparison with controls and patients with non-severe preeclampsia. Conclusion: Using transcriptional signatures of blood samples, we identified the gene encoding the estrogen receptor as a potential diagnostic marker of severe preeclampsia. In addition, the determination of this gene may improve the prognostic assessment of severe preeclampsia. Thirty-eight women were included in the study: 19 patients with PE, including 6 women with non-severe PE and 13 with severe PE, and 19 women with normal pregnancy (NP) selected according to age, weight, smoking status, race, gestational age at the inclusion, and blood pH (Table 1 of manuscript). Women with NP had no history of medical illness or medication, and received routing prenatal care. The diagnostic of PE was based on a blood pressure of M-bM-^IM-% 140/90 mmHg taken twice, uricemia above normal laboratory range (120-420 M-BM-5mol/L), and proteinuria higher than 300 mg in a 24 hour-collection, occurring after 20 gestational weeks in previously normotensive women (Table 2). The criteria used to define severe PE included one of the following conditions: a blood pressure higher than 160/110 mmHg, a proteinuria higher than 1500 mg/24h), a multisystem disorder, maternal cerebral symptoms (seizures, stroke) or intrauterine growth restriction below the 3M-BM-0 percentile. Women with multiple gestations, fetal congenital malformations/chromosomal abnormalities, recent infection, antiphospholipid antibodies, trauma, drug or alcohol abuse during pregnancy, preexisting hypertension, thrombophilia with PE history, or women receiving anticoagulant or antiaggregation therapy were excluded from the study. Two microarrays (one non-severe PE and one normal) were discarded from the analysis for technical reasons. Thus, only 36 microarrays are included here.
Project description:Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious pregnancy associated disorder. Recently, it has been proposed that the role of the placenta differ between the two sub-groups early- and late-onset PE. To further elucidate differences between the two sub-groups, we conducted transcriptional profiling of human placenta comparing early- with late-onset PE. The analysis showed differences in angiogenesis associated genes. Two-condition experiment, early-onset PE (n=8) vs. late-onset PE (n=7).
Project description:In the human-specific disorder of pregnancy preeclampsia (PE) we find dysregulation of multiple genes associated with the cis-regulatory elements (CREs) derived from mammalian-specific endogenous retrovirus (ERV3-MLT1)
Project description:Intercellular communication via extracellular vesicles (EVs) is a highly dynamic and specific process. The interaction between EVs and their target cells, especially immune cells, results in functional and phenotype changes that consequently may play a significant role in various physiological states and the pathogenesis of immune-mediated disorders. Monocytes are the most prominent environment sensing immune cells in circulation, skilled to shape their microenvironments via cytokine secretion and further differentiation. Both the circulating monocyte subset distribution and the blood plasma EV pattern are characteristic for preeclampsia, a pregnancy induced immune-mediated hypertensive disorder. We hypothesized that preeclampsia-associated EVs (PE-EVs) induced functional and phenotypic alterations of monocytes. First we proved EV binding and uptake by THP-1 cells. Cellular origin and protein cargo of circulating PE-EVs were characterized by flow cytometry and mass spectrometry. An altered phagocytosis-associated molecular pattern was found on PE-EVs: an elevated CD47 “don’t eat me” signal and decreased exofacial phosphatidylserine “eat-me” signal were found along with decreased uptake of PE-EVs. PE-EVs induced significantly lower chemotaxis and cell motility, but accelerated cell adhesion of THP-1 cells. PE-EVs caused sustained TNF production of THP-1 cells. PE-EVs induced altered monocyte functions suggest that circulating PE-EVs may have a role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.
Project description:Maternal serum levels of calcyclin and heat shock protein 90 were compared throughout pregnancy from the first trimester till term among women with preeclampsia (PE) and age-matched normotensive pregnant controls (C). Serum samples from two different studies, a nested case-control study embedded in the Rotterdam periconception cohort and the Lepra Study both conducted at the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam. They were collected in the first, second and third trimester of pregnancy in 43 patients with preeclampsia, consisting of 20 early-onset and 23 late-onset preeclampsia, and 46 normotensive pregnant controls. A serum based 2D LC-MS assay on Parallel Reaction Monitoring mode using a high resolution tribrid mass spectrometer was used to quantify both calcyclin and heat shock protein 90.
Project description:Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive pregnancy syndrome associated with target organ damage and higher cardiovascular sequelae and requires antihypertensive therapy. However, about 40% of patients are nonresponsive to treatment, leading to worse clinical outcomes. Through proteomics, we aimed to compare the circulating protein profiles and identify differentially expressed proteins of 10 responsive (R-PE) and 10 nonresponsive (NR-PE) patients to 10 healthy pregnant controls (HP). We performed plasma protein relative quantification using mass spectrometry.
Project description:Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious pregnancy associated disorder. Recently, it has been proposed that the role of the placenta differ between the two sub-groups early- and late-onset PE. To further elucidate differences between the two sub-groups, we conducted transcriptional profiling of human placenta comparing early- with late-onset PE. The analysis showed differences in angiogenesis associated genes.