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Hypoxia-induced alpha-globin expression in syncytiotrophoblasts mimics the pattern observed in preeclamptic placentas

Masoumi, Zahra LU orcid ; Erlandsson, Lena LU ; Hansson, Eva LU ; Magnusson, Mattias LU ; Mezey, Eva and Hansson, Stefan R. LU orcid (2021) In International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22(7).
Abstract

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy disorder associated with placental dysfunction and elevated fetal hemoglobin (HbF). Early in pregnancy the placenta harbors hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and is an extramedullary source of erythropoiesis. However, globin expression is not unique to erythroid cells and can be triggered by hypoxia. To investigate the role of the placenta in increasing globin levels previously reported in PE, flow cytometry, histological and immunostaining and in situ analyses were used on placenta samples and ex vivo explant cultures. Our results indicated that in PE pregnancies, placental HSPC homing and erythropoiesis were not affected. Non-erythroid alpha-globin mRNA and protein, but not gamma-globin,... (More)

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy disorder associated with placental dysfunction and elevated fetal hemoglobin (HbF). Early in pregnancy the placenta harbors hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and is an extramedullary source of erythropoiesis. However, globin expression is not unique to erythroid cells and can be triggered by hypoxia. To investigate the role of the placenta in increasing globin levels previously reported in PE, flow cytometry, histological and immunostaining and in situ analyses were used on placenta samples and ex vivo explant cultures. Our results indicated that in PE pregnancies, placental HSPC homing and erythropoiesis were not affected. Non-erythroid alpha-globin mRNA and protein, but not gamma-globin, were detected in syncytiotrophoblasts and stroma of PE placenta samples. Similarly, alpha-globin protein and mRNA were upregulated in normal placenta explants cultured in hypoxia. The upregulation was inde-pendent of HIF1 and NRF2, the two main candidates of globin transcription in non-erythroid cells. Our study is the first to demonstrate alpha-globin mRNA expression in syncytiotrophoblasts in PE, induced by hypoxia. However, gamma-globin was only expressed in erythrocytes. We conclude that alpha-globin, but not HbF, is expressed in placental syncytiotrophoblasts in PE and may contribute to the pathology of the disease.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Erythropoiesis, Non-erythroid globin, Oxidative stress, Placenta, Preeclampsia, Syncytiotrophoblast
in
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
volume
22
issue
7
article number
3357
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • pmid:33806017
  • scopus:85103036001
ISSN
1661-6596
DOI
10.3390/ijms22073357
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
27f6f040-58c9-46ba-b0dd-e70a12fd3066
date added to LUP
2021-04-07 08:52:55
date last changed
2024-06-16 11:54:19
@article{27f6f040-58c9-46ba-b0dd-e70a12fd3066,
  abstract     = {{<p>Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy disorder associated with placental dysfunction and elevated fetal hemoglobin (HbF). Early in pregnancy the placenta harbors hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and is an extramedullary source of erythropoiesis. However, globin expression is not unique to erythroid cells and can be triggered by hypoxia. To investigate the role of the placenta in increasing globin levels previously reported in PE, flow cytometry, histological and immunostaining and in situ analyses were used on placenta samples and ex vivo explant cultures. Our results indicated that in PE pregnancies, placental HSPC homing and erythropoiesis were not affected. Non-erythroid alpha-globin mRNA and protein, but not gamma-globin, were detected in syncytiotrophoblasts and stroma of PE placenta samples. Similarly, alpha-globin protein and mRNA were upregulated in normal placenta explants cultured in hypoxia. The upregulation was inde-pendent of HIF1 and NRF2, the two main candidates of globin transcription in non-erythroid cells. Our study is the first to demonstrate alpha-globin mRNA expression in syncytiotrophoblasts in PE, induced by hypoxia. However, gamma-globin was only expressed in erythrocytes. We conclude that alpha-globin, but not HbF, is expressed in placental syncytiotrophoblasts in PE and may contribute to the pathology of the disease.</p>}},
  author       = {{Masoumi, Zahra and Erlandsson, Lena and Hansson, Eva and Magnusson, Mattias and Mezey, Eva and Hansson, Stefan R.}},
  issn         = {{1661-6596}},
  keywords     = {{Erythropoiesis; Non-erythroid globin; Oxidative stress; Placenta; Preeclampsia; Syncytiotrophoblast}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Molecular Sciences}},
  title        = {{Hypoxia-induced alpha-globin expression in syncytiotrophoblasts mimics the pattern observed in preeclamptic placentas}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms22073357}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/ijms22073357}},
  volume       = {{22}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}