Heparin prevents programmed cell death in human trophoblast.

Abstract

Heparin is used clinically for the prevention of pregnancy complications associated with prothrombotic disorders, especially antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. Recent studies have suggested that heparin may exert direct effects on placental trophoblast, independently of its anticoagulant activity. We now demonstrate that heparin abrogates apoptosis of primary first trimester villous trophoblast in response to treatment with the pro-inflammatory cytokines interferon (IFN)-gamma and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. This multifunctional glycosaminoglycan also inhibited apoptosis induced by other agents, including staurosporin, broad-spectrum kinase inhibitor and thrombin. Furthermore, heparin attenuated caspase-3 activity, a hallmark of apoptosis, in human first trimester villous and extravillous trophoblast cell lines treated with peptidoglycan, a Toll-like receptor-2 agonist isolated from Staphylococcus aureus. The ability of heparin to antagonize cell death induced by such diverse apoptotic signals suggested that it acts as a survival factor for human trophoblast. We demonstrate that heparin, like epidermal growth factor (EGF) and heparin-binding EGF (HB-EGF), elicits phosphorylation of the EGF receptor and activation of the phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-, the extracellular signal-related kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2)- and the c-Jun NH2 terminal kinase (JNK)-signal transduction pathways in primary villous trophoblast. In summary, we have demonstrated that heparin activates multiple anti-apoptotic pathways in human trophoblast. Our results suggest that heparin may be useful in the management of at-risk patients, even in the absence of an identifiable thrombophilic disorder.

• Authors: Frank A Hills, Vikki M Abrahams, Belen González-Timón, Julia Francis, Brianna Cloke, Larry Hinkson, Raj Rai, Gil Mor, Lesley Regan, Mark Sullivan, Eric W-F Lam, Jan J Brosens
• Journal: Molecular human reproduction (Mol Hum Reprod) Vol. 12 Issue 4 Pg. 237-43 (Apr 2006) ISSN: 1360-9947 [Print] England
• PMID: 16556679 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• HBEGF protein, human
• Heparin-binding EGF-like Growth Factor
• Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
• TNF protein, human
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
• Epidermal Growth Factor
• Heparin
• Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
• JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases
• CASP3 protein, human
• Caspase 3
• Caspases

Topics

• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Caspase 3
• Caspases (metabolism)
• Cell Line
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Cells, Cultured
• Epidermal Growth Factor (metabolism)
• Female
• Heparin (pharmacology)
• Heparin-binding EGF-like Growth Factor
• Humans
• Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
• JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (metabolism)
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases (metabolism)
• Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases (metabolism)
• Pregnancy
• Signal Transduction (drug effects, physiology)
• Trophoblasts (cytology, drug effects, enzymology)
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (metabolism)