Preeclampsia induced by cadmium in rats is related to abnormal local glucocorticoid synthesis in placenta

Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology

Yinping Huang²  Sisi Chen²  Yi Guo²  Duyun Ye⁴  Shunqun Luo¹  Xiaojie Zhang²  Qiong Zhang³  Fan Wang³ 

[1] Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China;Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang, China;Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang, China;Department of Pathophysiology, Tonji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China

关键词: Rat;    Placenta;    Glucocorticoid synthesis;    Preeclampsia;    Cadmium;   

Others  :  1139778
DOI  :  10.1186/1477-7827-12-77

 received in 2014-05-08, accepted in 2014-08-02,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

Cadmium (Cd) is a major environmental pollutant that causes multiple adverse health effects in humans and animals. In this study, we investigated Cd-mediated toxic effects in rats during pregnancy and endocrine intervention in the placenta.

Methods

We exposed pregnant rats to intraperitoneal Cd (CdCl2) at various doses (0, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/kg BW/day) from days 5 to 19 of pregnancy and evaluated the maternal-placental-fetal parameters linked to preeclampsia. We measured the corticosterone level in rat serum and placental tissue by sensitive ELISA and also analyzed the expression of glucocorticoid synthesis enzymes in the placenta.

Results

Key features of preeclampsia (PE), including hypertension, proteinuria, glomerular endotheliosis, placental abnormalities and small fetal size, appeared in pregnant rats after injection with 0.5 mg/kg BW/day Cd. The placental corticosterone production and maternal and fetal plasma corticosterone levels were increased in rats treated with 0.5 mg/kg BW/day Cd (P <0.01). The expression of 21-hydroxylase (CYP21) and 11beta-hydroxylase (CYP11B1), enzymes essential for corticosteroid synthesis, were increased in Cd-exposed placenta (P <0.01). 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11beta-HSD2), a dominant negative regulator of local glucocorticoid levels, was decreased in Cd-exposed placenta (P <0.01).

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates for the first time that changes in placental glucocorticoid synthesis induced by Cd exposure during pregnancy could contribute to preeclamptic conditions in rats.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Wang et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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