Maternal circulating levels of the
adipokine chemerin are elevated in
preeclampsia, but its origin and contribution to
preeclampsia remain unknown. We therefore studied (1) placental chemerin expression and release in human pregnancy, and (2) the consequences of chemerin overexpression via lentivirus-mediated trophoblast-specific gene manipulation in both mice and immortalized human trophoblasts. Placental chemerin expression and release were increased in women with
preeclampsia, and their circulating chemerin levels correlated positively with the soluble Fms-like
tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1)/placental
growth factor (PlGF) ratio, a well-known
biomarker of
preeclampsia severity. Placental trophoblast chemerin overexpression in mice induced a
preeclampsia-like syndrome, involving
hypertension,
proteinuria, and endotheliosis, combined with diminished trophoblast invasion, a disorganized labyrinth layer, and up-regulation of sFlt-1 and the
inflammation markers nuclear factor-κB (NFκB),
tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and
interleukin (IL)-1β. It also led to
embryo resorption, while maternal serum chemerin levels correlated negatively with
fetal weight in mice. Chemerin overexpression in human trophoblasts up-regulated sFlt-1, reduced vascular endothelial
factor-A, and inhibited migration and invasion, as well as tube formation during co-culture with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The
chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1) antagonist α-NETA prevented the latter phenomenon, although it did not reverse the chemerin-induced down-regulation of the
phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway. In conclusion, up-regulation of placental chemerin synthesis disturbs normal placental development via its CMKLR1 receptor, thereby contributing to
fetal growth restriction/resorption and the development of
preeclampsia. Chemerin might be a novel
biomarker of
preeclampsia, and inhibition of the chemerin/CMKLR1 pathway is a promising novel therapeutic strategy to treat
preeclampsia.