Preeclamptic decidual microvascular endothelial cells express lower levelsof matrix metalloproteinase-1 than normals

In preeclampsia, invasion of intrauterine decidual blood vessels by placent al cytotrophoblasts is significantly reduced. This study examined the secre tion of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) by cultured human decidual endothel ial cells from normal (NDEC) and preeclamptic (PEDEC) pregnancies. MMPs sec reted into the culture medium were measured using zymography, Western blott ing, and ELISA. Results were confirmed by Northern analysis. Phorbol myrist ate acetate, known to induce protease activity in other endothelial cell po pulations, stimulated MMP1, MMP9, and TIMP1 secretion in both NDEC and PEDE C. Neither tumor necrosis factor-a nor transforming growth factor-beta, bot h thought to have significant roles in the control of placentation, affecte d MMP secretion. MMP9 and TIMP1 levels were similar between the two cell ty pes; however, MMP1 secretion was markedly different between the cell types. NDEC expressed higher levels of MMP1 under both basal (160 +/- 32 ng/10(6) cells) and stimulated (275 +/- 50) conditions compared to PEDEC (32 +/- 24 and 70 +/- 53, respectively). The lower MMP1 expression of decidual endoth elial cells from preeclamptic women may inhibit endovascular invasion by cy totrophoblasts. These findings may, at least partly, explain the relative f ailure of trophoblasts to invade maternal decidual blood vessels in preecla mptic pregnancy. (C) 1999 Academic Press.