EFFECT OF SERUM ON SECRETION OF PROSTACYCLIN AND ENDOTHELIN-1 BY DECIDUAL ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS FROM NORMAL AND PREECLAMPTIC PREGNANCIES

OBJECTIVE: Increasing circumstantial evidence suggests that the matern al endothelial cell is centrally involved in the syndrome of preeclamp sia, and a number of reports have described the presence of a factor(s ) that alters endothelial cell function in serum from women with preec lampsia. We have previously described differences between endothelial cells from the decidual vascular bed and those from the umbilical vein . The purposes of this study were (1) to examine the effect of serum f rom normal and preeclamptic women on secretion of vasoactive substance s by maternal decidual endothelial cells, (2) to compare these results with those from umbilical vein endothelial cells, widely used as a su rrogate for endothelial cells in general, (3) to compare responses to these sera by decidual endothelial cells from normal and preeclamptic pregnancies, and (4) to determine whether these responses are amplifie d by preincubation in test sera. STUDY DESIGN: Endothelial cells were isolated from umbilical veins and from decidual biopsy specimens colle cted at caesarean section delivery, from both normal and preeclamptic women. Cells were maintained in culture until passage 2, when secretio n by the three endothelial cell populations of the vasodilator prostac yclin (measured as its stable metabolite, B-keto-prostaglandin F-1 alp ha), and the vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 was compared in the presence of serum from preeclamptic or gestational age-matched normal pregnant women. RESULTS: Prostacyclin secretion by all endothelial cell popula tions was higher in the presence of serum from preeclamptic women than in medium containing serum from gestational age-matched normal pregna nt women. Values for endothelin were not singificantly different in ce lls incubated in serum from normal or precclamptic women. Preincubatio n of decidual cells from preeclamptic women in test serum, particularl y in preeclamptic serum, resulted in more marked stimulation of prosta cyclin secretion. CONCLUSIONS: Preeclamptic serum contains a factor(s) that stimulates prostanoid secretion from endothelial cells. This eff ect was observed in both umbilical vein and decidual cells. Cells from preeclamptic women were more susceptible to perturbation of their sec retion by this factor. Serum from preeclamptic women did not specifica lly affect endothelin-1 secretion.