Cholestatic pregnancy is associated with reduced VCAM1 expression in vascular endothelial cell of placenta.

Objective: Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a pregnancy-specific disease which is closely correlated with abnormal placental vascular formation and deficient vascular maturation. This study intends to explore the role of VCAM-1 in the vascular formation in the placenta of ICP.

Methods: Patients with ICP or healthy puerperant were respectively used as ICP group and control group. The umbilical vein endothelial cell Eahy926 was selected as in vitro cell model. Immunohistochemistry and western blot were used for analysis of protein expression. MRNA expression was assayed by real time-PCR and the cell viability was detected by the MTT method. Cell proliferation and cell apoptosis were probed by the flow cytometer. Luciferase report assay was used for the interaction analysis between the microRNA and the 3'UTR of gene VCAM-1.

Results: Immunohistochemistry indicated that the expression of VCAM-1 was reduced in the ICP group compared to that in control group. The cell culture and cell behavior assays indicated that the TCA (Taurocholic acid) could reduce the expression of gene VCAM-1 and inhibit the cell proliferation and enhance the cell apoptosis. In order to probe its reduction mechanism, the potential microRNAs were detected and gene VCAM-1 was confirmed to be the target of miR-590-3p by western blot and luciferase report assays.

Conclusions: The expression pattern of gene VCAM-1 was suppressed by TCA through miR-590-3p, which participated in the regulation of cell growth, cell proliferation and cell apoptosis.