Hypoxia in human trophoblasts stimulates the expression and secretion of connective tissue growth factor

Eli Rimon1, Baosheng Chen, Anthony L Shanks

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.

Endocrinology
|February 23, 2008
PubMed

The mechanisms underlying cellular injury when human placental trophoblasts are exposed to hypoxia are unclear. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) mediates cell injury and fibrosis in diverse tissues. We hypothesized that hypoxia enhances the production of CTGF in primary term human trophoblasts. Using cultured term primary human trophoblasts as well as villous biopsies from term human placentas, we showed that CTGF protein is expressed in trophoblasts. When compared with cells cultured in standard conditions (FiO2 = 20%), exposure of primary human trophoblasts to low oxygen concentration (FiO2 = 8% or

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