Reversible effects of oxygen partial pressure on genes associated with placental angiogenesis and differentiation in primary‐term cytotrophoblast cell culture

SUMMARY Timely regulated changes in oxygen partial pressure are important for placental formation. Disturbances could be responsible for pregnancy‐related diseases like preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. We aimed to (i) determine the effect of oxygen partial pressure on cytotrophoblast differentiation; (ii) measure mRNA expression and protein secretion from genes associated with placental angiogenesis; and (iii) determine the reversibility of these effects at different oxygen partial pressures. Term cytotrophoblasts were incubated at 21% and 2.5% O 2 for 96 hr, or were switched between the two oxygen concentrations after 48 hr. Real‐time PCR and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were used to evaluate cell fusion and differentiation, measuring transcript levels for those genes involved in cell fusion and placental angiogenesis, including VEGF , PlGF , VEGFR1 , sVEGFR1 , sENG , INHA , and GCM1 . Cytotrophoblasts underwent fusion and differentiation in 2.5% O 2 . PlGF expression was inhibited while sVEGFR1 expression increased. VEGF and sENG mRNA expressions increased in 2.5% compared to 21% O 2 , but no protein was detected in the cell supernatants. Finally, GCM1 mRNA expression increased during trophoblast differentiation at 21% O 2 , but was inhibited at 2.5% O 2 . These mRNA expression effects were reversed by returning the cells to 21% O 2 . Thus, low‐oxygen partial pressure does not inhibit term‐cytotrophoblast cell fusion and differentiation in vitro. Lowering the oxygen partial pressure from 21% to 2.5% caused normal‐term trophoblasts to reversibly modify their expression of genes associated with placental angiogenesis. This suggests that modifications observed in pregnancy diseases such as preeclampsia or growth retardation are probably due to an extrinsic effect on trophoblasts. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 80: 774–784, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc .