Expression of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 and placental growth factor in fetal growth restriction cases and intervention effect of tetramethylpyrazine

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the expression of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PLGF) in the fetal growth restriction (FGR) cases and the intervention mechanism of tetramethylpyrazine.

Methods: A total of 60 fetal growth restriction cases that admitted to our hospital were randomly divided into ligustrazine intervention group (group A) and nutritional support group (group B). A total of 50 healthy pregnant women were also enrolled as control group (group C). Expression level of maternal serum sFlt1, PLGF and fetal growth parameters including HC, AC, FL, BPD, EFW as well as placenta PLGF, sFlt-1 mRNA expression were recorded and compared among the three groups. A total of 15 SD rats were selected and were divided into three groups, TMP group, alcohol and tobacco group and blank control group. Three groups of rats were dissected on the twentieth day of gestation.

Results: Expression level of sFlt-1 and PLGF in group A was not significantly different from that of group C (P>0.05); but significant difference in SFlt1 and PLGF expression level was observed between group C and group B (P<0.05). Before treatment, HC, AC, FL, BPD and EFW of group A and group B were significant lower than those of group C, but after treatment, those parameters in group A were significantly improved (P<0.05). In the animal experiment there was no significant difference in sFlt-1 between treatment group and FGR group without treatment or control group (P>0.05). There was significant difference in PLGF between FGR group with treatment and FGR group without treatment or control group (P<0.01).

Conclusions: PLGF level is decreased and sFlt-1 increased in patients suffered from fetal growth restriction, and FGR rats show increased sFlt-1 and decreased PLGF, thus they can be indicator of the fetal growth restriction. Ligustrazine can effectively improve sFlt-1, PLGF expression level in fetal growth restriction cases, which can be used as treatment for FGR.

Keywords: Fetal growth restriction; Ligustrazine; PLGF; sFlt-1.