Increase in matrix metalloproteinases from endothelial cells exposed to umbilical cord plasma from high birth weight newborns

MMP-9 and miR-181a-5p in serum and placenta are associated with adverse outcomes of patients with severe preeclampsia and their infants

This study explored the correlation of MMP-9 with miR-181a-5p in severe preeclampsia (SPE). Placental tissues and serum were collected from 30 pregnant SPE patients (aged 29.42 ± 3.75) and 30 normal pregnant women (aged 27.72 ± 2.21), followed by detecting MMP-9 and miR-181a-5p fold changes using RT-qPCR, and grouped as follows: high expression groups (≥median value): H-MMP-9 and H-miR-181a-5p vs. low expression groups (<median value): L-MMP-9 and L-miR-181a-5p. MMP-9 was weakly expressed (F = 709.99, p < 0.001; F = 670.45, p < 0.001) (serum: 0.41 ± 0.06 (fold changes); placenta: 0.42 ± 0.09 (fold changes)), whereas miR-181a-5p was highly expressed (F = 284.93, p < 0.001; F = 353.78, p < 0.001) (serum: 2.26 ± 0.39; placenta: 2.02 ± 0.29) in SPE patients. MMP-9 was negatively correlated with miR-181a-5p (serum: r = -0.5767, p = 0.0009; placenta: r = -0.5667, p = 0.0011) in SPE patients. MMP-9 showed positive-correlation with gestational week at delivery (r = 0.7625; p < 0.0001) and infant weight (r = 0.4947; p < 0.0001) of SPE patients. miR-181-5p showed negative-correlation (gestational week at delivery: r = -0.5614, p = 0.0012; infant weight: r = -0.4081, p = 0.0252). H-MMP-9 group had lower adverse outcome than L-MMP-9 group (p = 0.0006), and H-miR-181a-5p group had higher adverse outcome than L-miR-181a-5p group (p = 0.0036). In brief, MMP-9 was negatively correlated with miR-181a-5p in serum and placenta of SPE patients. MMP-9 and miR-181a-5p affected gestational week at delivery and infant weight, providing novel targets for SPE treatment.

A review on the genetic, environmental, and lifestyle aspects of the early-life origins of cardiovascular disease

This article is a comprehensive review on developmental origins of health and disease regarding various factors related to the origins of cardiovascular diseases from early life. It presents a summary of the impacts of various factors such as epigenetics; gene-environment interaction; ethnic predisposition to cardiovascular diseases and their underlying risk factors; prenatal factors; fetal programming; maternal weight status and weight gain during pregnancy; type of feeding during infancy; growth pattern during childhood; obesity; stunting; socioeconomic status; dietary and physical activity habits; active, secondhand, and thirdhand smoking, as well as environmental factors including air pollution and global climate change on the development and progress of cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors. The importance of early identification of predisposing factors for cardiovascular diseases for primordial and primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases from early life is highlighted.

The assessment of the relationship between amniotic fluid matrix metalloproteinase-9 and zinc levels with adverse obstetric outcomes

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between the amniotic fluid MMP-9 and zinc levels during 16-19th gestational weeks and perinatal outcomes.

METHOD

One hundred and seventeen singleton pregnancies that underwent genetic amniocentesis from January 2005 through November 2009 were evaluated. Subjects were divided into two main groups: a control group (group 1) (n: 74), and an adverse obstetric outcomes group (group 2) (n: 43). Group 2 consisted of the following: preterm birth group, gestational hypertension and preeclampsia group, gestational diabetes group, fetal growth restriction group, macrosomia group, and pregnancy loss group. MMP-9 and zinc (Zn) values in the amniocentesis materials sampled between the 16th and 19th gestational weeks were analyzed retrospectively in terms of perinatal outcomes. Any significant difference among the groups was assessed by unpaired samples t test and the Mann-Whitney U test. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05.

RESULTS

A comparison among groups showed no significant difference in terms of Zn results between the group 1 and 2 (p = 0.879). MMP-9 levels were significantly lower in both the preterm birth group (p = 0.043) and group 1 (p = 0.015).

CONCLUSION

We found that the amniotic fluid MMP-9 levels of patients who delivered preterm were significantly lower between the 16th and 19th gestational weeks.

Hookworm (Necator americanus) larval enzymes disrupt human vascular endothelium

Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms used by Necator americanus larvae to penetrate the human skin and the vasculature would aid the development of effective vaccines against this important pathogen. In this work, the impact of N. americanus exsheathing fluid (EF) and excretory/secretory products (ES) on the endothelial barrier was examined using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Cellular responses were assessed by investigating molecular changes at cell-cell junctions and by determining levels of secreted IL-6, IL-8, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the culture medium. It would appear that a repertoire of larval proteases caused a dose-related increase in endothelial permeability as characterized by a decrease in monolayer resistance with increased permeation of tracer-albumin. These barrier changes were associated with disruption of junctional vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) and F-actin and an increase in endothelial secretion of IL-6 and IL-8. Our data suggest that larval proteases play an important role in negotiating the endothelium.