Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (Flt1)and apoptosis in the preeclamptic placenta and effects of in vivo anti-hypertensive exposure

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (Flt1) is negatively correlated with apoptosis in preeclampsia placentae, and to examine the effects of antihypertensive medication on apoptosis. METHODS: Flt1 and TUNEL immunoreactivity were quantitatively compared in the stromal decidual cells, villous trophoblasts, and endothelial cells of placentae from uncomplicated pregnancies (NP, n = 34) to those in patients with preeclampsia (PE, n = 30), and those in patients with preeclampsia with superimposed intrauterine growth restriction (PE + IUGR, n = 7). Further analyses determined any correlations with the antepartum use of the antihypertensives clonidine and hydralazine. RESULTS: There was no difference in either Flt1 or TUNEL when comparing PE placentae (with or without IUGR) with NP. There were no correlations with the use of the antihypertensives. CONCLUSION: Apoptotic levels do not correlate with Flt1 in preeclampsia placentae and are not regulated by in vivo exposure to the antihypertensives clonidine and hydralazine.