Impact of pre-eclampsia on miRs processing and its relationship with the control of gene expression of the protein Endoglin (CD105) in placental tissue

• Grant number: 23/12854-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2023
• End date: November 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Principal Investigator: Rodrigo Augusto da Silva
• Grantee: Rafael Lopes Correia Tagliaferri
• Host Institution: Vice-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação. Universidade Paulista (UNIP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Pre-eclampsia is a hypertensive syndrome characterized by systemic endothelial dysfunction, which manifests clinically after the second half of pregnancy and even though it has high maternal-fetal morbidity and mortality, the molecular mechanisms associated with this disorder are not yet clear. Despite the accelerated progress of knowledge in the field of maternal and fetal epigenetics in recent years, the epigenetic mechanisms associated with this hypertensive syndrome are still a poorly explored field, especially with regard to the control of gene expression mediated by the action of the miRs of Endoglin protein, a glycoprotein that has been related to the pathophysiology of PE because it is related to embryonic vascular development. In this sense, this proposal aims to evaluate whether PE impacts the miRs biogenesis machinery, altering the profile of microRNAs involved in the regulation of genes associated with placental vascularization. For this purpose, molecular and histomorphometric analyzes will be carried out on samples of human placentas that were collected at the time of birth from pregnant women admitted to the Department of Obstetrics of the Hospital Universitário de Taubaté between the months of October 2020 and March 2021. Carrying out this study will allow us to expand current knowledge regarding the action of miRs in controlling the expression of the Endoglin protein and its possible correlation with the microvascular density of placental tissue.