Figure 7.

Altered expression of TUG1, TET3, and the DUSP family in rats with L-NAME-induced PE and human preeclamptic placenta

(A) L-NAME or normal saline was intraperitoneally injected into pregnant rats. The embryos and placental tissues were collected, counted, and weighted. (B) Changes in SBP in the two groups. ∗∗p < 0.001 compared with SBP on GD 8 before intraperitoneal injection of L-NAME or normal saline. (C) The average weights of the embryos and placental tissues of the control and L-NAME groups were measured. (D) Four images on the left show representative photomicrographs of hematoxylin-eosin-stained kidney and placenta sections of saline- or L-NAME-treated rats on GD 18.5. Six images on the right show immunohistochemistry staining of placental tissues using antibodies against FOXP1, TET3, and DUSP5. Magnification, 20×; scale bar, 100 μm. (E) Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed negative correlations between the expression of TUG1 and TET3 and between TUG1 and its target genes (DUSP2, DUSP4, and DUSP5). Positive correlations between mRNA expression of TUG1 and FOXP1 and between TET3 and DUSP2, DUSP4, and DUSP5 were found in 64 paired preeclamptic and control placental tissues. Error bars indicate mean ± SEM. ∗p < 0.05 and ∗∗p < 0.01.