Moon K C, Park J S, Norwitz E R, Kim D I, Oh K J, Park C-W, Jun J K, Syn H C
Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Placenta. 2008 May;29(5):391-5. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2008.02.001. Epub 2008 Mar 21.
Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAP kinases) participate in signal transduction pathways that control embryogenesis, cell differentiation, cell proliferation and cell death. The roles of extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) and p38 MAP kinase in the differentiation and invasion of human trophoblasts have been studied. However, the in vivo expression and activation of ERK1/2 and p38 at the placental bed have not been elucidated.
The study group consisted of placental bed biopsy tissues obtained from the pregnancies without preeclampsia (n=24) and with preeclampsia (n=8) between 31 and 40 weeks of gestation. We evaluated the expressions and phosphorylations of ERK1/2 and p38 MAP kinase in the invasive trophoblasts in the placental bed tissues using immunohistochemistry.
p38 and phospho-p38 MAP kinase were not detected in invasive trophoblasts in cases or controls. ERK1/2 and phospho-ERK1/2 were positive in invasive trophoblasts albeit with variable staining. Phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was significantly less frequent in invasive trophoblasts in placental bed biopsies from women with preeclampsia compared with normotensive controls.
These findings suggest that preeclampsia is associated with decreased activation of ERK1/2 in invasive trophoblasts in vivo.
丝裂原活化蛋白激酶（MAP激酶）参与控制胚胎发生、细胞分化、细胞增殖和细胞死亡的信号转导途径。细胞外信号调节激酶1/2（ERK1/2）和p38 MAP激酶在人滋养层细胞分化和侵袭中的作用已得到研究。然而，ERK1/2和p38在胎盘床的体内表达及激活情况尚未阐明。
研究组由妊娠31至40周时获得的胎盘床活检组织组成，其中无先兆子痫的孕妇（n = 24），有先兆子痫的孕妇（n = 8）。我们使用免疫组织化学评估胎盘床组织中侵袭性滋养层细胞中ERK1/2和p38 MAP激酶的表达及磷酸化情况。
在病例组或对照组的侵袭性滋养层细胞中均未检测到p38和磷酸化p38 MAP激酶。ERK1/2和磷酸化ERK1/2在侵袭性滋养层细胞中呈阳性，尽管染色程度不同。与血压正常的对照组相比，先兆子痫孕妇胎盘床活检组织中侵袭性滋养层细胞中ERK1/2的磷酸化频率显著降低。
这些发现表明，先兆子痫与体内侵袭性滋养层细胞中ERK1/2的激活减少有关。
