Elevated microRNA-520g in pre-eclampsia inhibits migration and invasion of trophoblasts.

Introduction: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a common and severe obstetric complication. MicroRNAs (miRs) have emerged as molecules that are associated with the disease.

Methods: Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) was used for serum miR-520g characterization from 19 severe pre-eclamptic and 19 normal pregnancies.

Association between the maternal serum levels of 19 eicosanoids and pre-eclampsia.

Objective: To investigate whether serum levels of 19 eicosanoids are associated with pre-eclampsia.

Methods: A case-control study was performed using data for pregnant women with pre-eclampsia, normotensive pregnant women, and nonpregnant women, for all of whom serum samples had been collected at a hospital in Shanghai, China, between December 2012 and December 2013. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to measure the serum levels of 19 eicosanoids.

Quantification of preeclampsia-related microRNAs in maternal serum.

To identify the specific serum preeclampsia (PE)-related biomarkers, 10 microRNAs (miRNAs) were selected based on their reported aberrant (4 upregulated and 6 downregulated) expression in PE placenta. A total of 1,035 pregnant patients were enrolled. Finally, 32 pregnancies with PE and 32 healthy pregnancies were incorporated in the study.

Detection of 19 types of para-arachidonic acids in five types of plasma/serum by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

The aim of this study was to examine the consistency of ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-TMS) in detecting the levels of para-arachidonic acids (PAAs) among differently processed plasma/serum samples. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-K2, sodium citrate, heparin lithium, coagulant/separation gel, and coagulant-free vacuum blood-sampling tubes were used to collect the fasting blood samples from 15 volunteers. All blood samples were subjected to solid-phase extraction using an Oasis HLB μElution 96-well plate, and UPLC-TMS was used to detect 19 types of PAAs in the blood samples.

Effect of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid on biological behavior of human villous trophoblasts and uterine vascular smooth muscle cells.

During pregnancy, disorders in uterine spiral artery remodeling (USAR) cause preeclampsia and other diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) on the biological behavior of human villous trophoblasts (HVTs) and human uterine vascular smooth muscle cells (HUVSMCs), and explore the role of 20-HETE in USAR. 20-HETE and its inhibitor HET0016 were used to study migration, invasion and apoptosis in the HVT and HVT-HUVSMC models.