Expression of thrombin receptors in endothelial cells and neutrophils from normal and preeclamptic pregnancies.

Thrombin receptors, i.e. proteinase-activated receptors (PARs), are expressed in endothelial cells (ECs) and neutrophils and directly affect platelet function and thrombosis. Although endothelial dysfunction and neutrophil activation have been demonstrated in women with preeclampsia (PE), the expression and regulation of PARs have not been defined in PE. In this study, we measured the expression of PARs in ECs and in neutrophils derived from normal and preeclamptic pregnancies. We also examined the effects of placental factors on PAR expression in these cells in vitro. ECs were isolated from umbilical cords (human umbilical vein ECs) from normal and preeclamptic pregnancies. Neutrophils were isolated from blood obtained from nonpregnant, uncomplicated pregnant, and preeclamptic women. Total RNA was extracted from the first-passage (P1) ECs (normal and PE) and from normal P1 ECs incubated with conditioned media derived from normal and preeclamptic placental cultures. The mRNA expression of thrombin receptor (PAR1), PAR2, and PAR3 was measured by ribonuclease protective assay. The expression of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase was used as an internal control for each sample. We found that: 1) PAR1 expression was enhanced in ECs from PE, compared with ECs from normal pregnancies; 2) PAR2 expression was expressed in PE ECs but not in normal ECs; 3) neutrophils from nonpregnant women, normal, and preeclamptic pregnancies expressed PAR2, whereas only neutrophils from normal and preeclamptic pregnancies expressed PAR1; and 4) factors released from preeclamptic placenta up-regulated PAR1 and PAR2 expression in ECs but not in neutrophils. We conclude that mRNA expression of PAR1 and PAR2 is increased in ECs derived from preeclamptic pregnancies. Up-regulation of thrombin receptor expression in neutrophils may be a unique phenomenon during pregnancy but not apparently unique to PE. Factors released from the placenta are likely candidates in regulating PAR expression in ECs and may contribute to the platelet activation and vascular endothelial dysfunction in PE.