Decreased Filamin b expression regulates trophoblastic cells invasion through ERK/MMP-9 pathway in pre-eclampsia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of Filamin b in the placental placenta of patients with early or late onset pre-eclampsia (PE) and its potential effects on the pathophysiology of the disease.

Immunohistochemistry staining, western blot assays and real time PCR were used to detect the expression level of FLN-b. The expression levels of MMP-2, MMP-9 and ERK1/2 proteins from control and FLN-b-silenced JEG-3 cells were also detected by western blot and JEG-3 cell invasion.

Compared with normal term pregnancies placentas, the FLN-b expression was significantly lower than that of women with PE, its level in late-onset PE is lower than in early-onset PE. In FLN-b-silenced JEG-3 cells, the protein levels of MMP-2, MMP-9 and phosphorylated ERK1/2 decreased markedly and the number of cells penetrating through the transwell chamber membrane is also greatly reduced.

Down-regulation of FLN-b inhibits the ERK/MMP-2 and MMP-9 pathways, leading to trophoblastic invasion disorders in the PE placenta.