Reproduction Abstracts

Introduction: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a medical condition characterized by high blood pressure and significant amounts of protein in the urine of a pregnant woman. Hypoxia can result from a failure at any stage in the delivery of oxygen to cells. In peripheral tissues, oxygen again diffuses down a pressure gradient into cells and their mitochondria, where it is used to produce energy in conjunction with the breakdown of glucose, fats, and some amino acids.

Materials and methods: We induced hypoxic stress in BeWo cell cultured under 1% O₂, 5% CO₂, and balanced with N₂. The expression of β-oxidation related genes (ACADVL, EHHADH, HADH, and ACAA) were observed under hypoxic condition in BeWo cells by using real-time PCR.

Results and discussion: The expression of genes known as biomarkers for hypoxia, HIF1α, was increased in BeWo cells induced preeclampsia. The elevated level of HIF1α is indicative that our experimental conditions closely mimicked ones that are associated with preeclampsia. The β-oxidation related genes, ACADVL, EHHADH, and HADH expressions were significantly increased by hypoxic stress in BeWo compare with normoxic control. Further study is being done on the release of HIF1α and its affect on the metabolism of β-oxidation in BeWo cells. Taken together, these results indicate that changes of β-oxidation related genes observed under hypoxic BeWo cells are similar to ones associated with preeclampsia, and the expression of β-oxidation related genes were up-regulated by hypoxic stress. It may be involved in pathogenesis of preeclampsia during gestation.