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. 2021 Aug 15;78(4):1067–1079. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.121.17567

Figure 4.

Figure 4.

sFLT1 (soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1) impairs decidual trophoblast invasion during spiral artery remodeling. A, Anti-Cyto (cytokeratin) stained spiral arteries (SpAs) in decidua/mesometrial triangle (MT) and overview between spongiotrophoblast and decidua at 14.5 days postconception (dpc) and (B) at 18.5 dpc; scale bar: 200 µm decidua/MT, 100 µm overview; arrows denote Cyto-positive cells surrounding SpAs; asterisks denote round-shaped Cyto-positive cells not surrounding SpAs at 14.5 dpc. C, Quantification of Cyto-positive cell-migration revealed reduced trophoblast cell invasion upon hsFLT1 (human sFLT1) overexpression (preeclampsia homozygous for hsFLT1 and wild type for rtTA, homozygous for hsFLT1 and heterozygous for rtTA, and homozygous for hsFLT1 and homozygous for rtTA) compared with controls (Ctrl/doxycycline [Dox] Ctrl) at 14.5 dpc, [D] with recovery at 18.5 dpc in PE wt and het but not PE hom placentas. E/F, mRNA levels of prolactin family 2, subfamily c, member 2 (Prl2c2), matrix metalloproteinases (Mmp2 and Mmp9), were lower in PE wt and het compared with Ctrl at 14.5 dpc (E), improved until 18.5 dpc (F), whereas tumor necrosis factor α (Tnfα), transforming growth factor β (Tgfβ), and interferon γ (Infγ) were upregulated at 14.5 dpc (E) and 18.5 dpc (F). Data are presented as box plot with median, interquartile range±upper/lower extreme, or as mean±SEM; sample size n is listed under each graph respectively; Kruskal-Wallis combined with Dunn multiple comparisons test; *P<0.05, **P<0.01, and ***P<0.001. D indicates decidua; L, labyrinth, Sp, spongiotrophoblast.