TY - JOUR
T1 - Fibrosis in Preeclamptic Placentas Is Associated with Stromal Fibroblasts Activated by the Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Signaling Pathway
AU - Ohmaru-Nakanishi, Takako
AU - Asanoma, Kazuo
AU - Fujikawa, Mai
AU - Fujita, Yasuyuki
AU - Yagi, Hiroshi
AU - Onoyama, Ichiro
AU - Hidaka, Nobuhiro
AU - Sonoda, Kenzo
AU - Kato, Kiyoko
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by JSPS KAKENHI grants JP15H01517 (K.K.), JP15K15608 (K.K.), and JP26462529 (K.A.), and JP17K11280 (K.A.), and the FUKUOKA OBGYN Researcher's Charity Foundation Fund, Japan (T.O.).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 American Society for Investigative Pathology
PY - 2018/3
Y1 - 2018/3
N2 - Although fibrosis is one of the most prominent pathologic features of preeclamptic (PE) placentas, its mechanism remains largely unknown. Consistent with previous reports, we observed overexpression of collagen; actin, α2, smooth muscle, aorta; connective tissue growth factor; and fibronectin in PE placentas compared with control ones. To investigate the mechanism of fibrosis in PE placentas, placental fibroblasts were isolated from PE placentas or normal pregnancies at delivery. The expression of fibrosis-related factors in fibroblasts was evaluated by real-time RT-PCR, Western blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and gene microarrays. An in vitro collagen gel contraction assay was also performed. Fibroblasts isolated from PE placentas showed higher expression levels of fibrosis-related factors compared with those from control ones. Global gene expression profiling of PE fibroblasts was contrasted with that of control ones and indicated an intimate association with transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFB1) signaling. Furthermore, the PE fibroblasts expressed abundant phosphorylated SMAD family member 2 and showed higher expression levels of target genes of TGFB1 signaling compared with the control ones. The PE fibroblasts also had a greater ability to contract compared with the control ones. Contractility also depended on TGFB1 signaling. Our results suggest that TGFB1 signaling is activated in the fibroblasts in PE placentas and that these active fibroblasts contribute to fibrosis.
AB - Although fibrosis is one of the most prominent pathologic features of preeclamptic (PE) placentas, its mechanism remains largely unknown. Consistent with previous reports, we observed overexpression of collagen; actin, α2, smooth muscle, aorta; connective tissue growth factor; and fibronectin in PE placentas compared with control ones. To investigate the mechanism of fibrosis in PE placentas, placental fibroblasts were isolated from PE placentas or normal pregnancies at delivery. The expression of fibrosis-related factors in fibroblasts was evaluated by real-time RT-PCR, Western blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and gene microarrays. An in vitro collagen gel contraction assay was also performed. Fibroblasts isolated from PE placentas showed higher expression levels of fibrosis-related factors compared with those from control ones. Global gene expression profiling of PE fibroblasts was contrasted with that of control ones and indicated an intimate association with transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFB1) signaling. Furthermore, the PE fibroblasts expressed abundant phosphorylated SMAD family member 2 and showed higher expression levels of target genes of TGFB1 signaling compared with the control ones. The PE fibroblasts also had a greater ability to contract compared with the control ones. Contractility also depended on TGFB1 signaling. Our results suggest that TGFB1 signaling is activated in the fibroblasts in PE placentas and that these active fibroblasts contribute to fibrosis.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85042322008&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85042322008&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ajpath.2017.11.008
DO - 10.1016/j.ajpath.2017.11.008
M3 - Article
C2 - 29253459
AN - SCOPUS:85042322008
VL - 188
SP - 683
EP - 695
JO - American Journal of Pathology
JF - American Journal of Pathology
SN - 0002-9440
IS - 3
ER -