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Sola IM, Karin-Kujundzic V, Paic F, Lijovic L, Glibo M, Serman N, Duic T, Skrtic A, Kuna K, Vranic S, Serman L. WNT5A, β‑catenin and SUFU expression patterns, and the significance of microRNA deregulation in placentas with intrauterine growth restriction. Mol Med Rep 2022; 27:28. [PMID: 36524356 PMCID: PMC9813565 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2022.12914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Placental insufficiency is a common cause of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). It affects ~10% of pregnancies and increases fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Although Wnt and Hh pathways are crucial for embryonic development and placentation, their role in the pathology of IUGR is still not sufficiently explored. The present study analyzed the expression of positive regulators of the Wnt pathway, WNT5A and β‑catenin, and the expression of the Hh pathway negative regulator suppressor of fused (SUFU). Immunohistochemical and reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR (RT‑qPCR) assays were performed on 34 IUGR and 18 placental tissue samples from physiologic singleton‑term pregnancies. Epigenetic mechanisms of SUFU gene regulation were also investigated by methylation‑specific PCR analysis of its promoter and RT‑qPCR analysis of miR‑214‑3p and miR‑378a‑5p expression. WNT5A protein expression was higher in endothelial cells of placental villi from IUGR compared with control tissues. That was also the case for β‑catenin protein expression in trophoblasts and endothelial cells and SUFU protein expression in trophoblasts from IUGR placentas. The SUFU gene promoter remained unmethylated in all tissue samples, while miR‑214‑3p and miR‑378a‑5p were downregulated in IUGR. The present results suggested altered Wnt and Hh signaling in IUGR. DNA methylation did not appear to be a mechanism of SUFU regulation in the pathogenesis of IUGR, but its expression could be regulated by miRNA targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Marija Sola
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Sestre Milosrdnice, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Valentina Karin-Kujundzic
- Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia,Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia,Correspondence to: Dr Valentina Karin-Kujundzic, Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Salata 3, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, E-mail:
| | - Frane Paic
- Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Lada Lijovic
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, General Hospital Fra Mihovil Sučić, 80101 Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Mislav Glibo
- Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nikola Serman
- Zagreb Emergency Medicine Service, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Tihana Duic
- Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anita Skrtic
- Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia,Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia,Department of Pathology, University Hospital Merkur, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Krunoslav Kuna
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Sestre Milosrdnice, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Semir Vranic
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, 2713 Doha, Qatar
| | - Ljiljana Serman
- Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia,Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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