The effect of magnesium sulfate on gene expression in maternal microvascular endothelial cells

Abstract

Preeclampsia is a severe complication of pregnancy associated with maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. To date, magnesium sulfate remains the preferred method of treatment used to reduce the development of eclampsia. Our aim was to investigate the effects of magnesium sulfate on the expression of genes involved with endothelial function in maternal microvascular endothelial cells from both normal and preeclamptic pregnancies. Primary cells from normal pregnancies treated with 80 mg/L magnesium sulfate for 6 h revealed an overall trend of increased expression of angiogenic and vasopressor-related factors by qPCR analyses. Primary cells from preeclamptic pregnancies revealed an overall trend of decreased expression, with significantly lowered levels for vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, endothelin, and vascular cell adhesion protein-1. A comparison of treated cells revealed significantly increased levels for endoglin, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1, prostacyclin synthase, tumor necrosis factor α, tumor necrosis factor receptor 1, and endothelin in normal versus preeclamptic cells following treatment. These results reveal disparate activation of overall expression activity by magnesium sulfate in maternal endothelial cells from normal pregnancies over preeclamptic pregnancies.

Keywords

• preeclampsia
• angiogenic factors
• hypertension