Effect of Puerarin on human placental apoptosis in patients with preeclampsia

Abstract

Objective To investigate the expression of apoptosis associated Bax, bcl-2 and Caspase-3 in human placenta of preeclampsia (PE), and to evaluate the influence of Puerarin on apoptosis associated gene and the efficiency mechanism. Methods Placental tissues from 60 normal gravidas, 60 post-treatment women with magnesium sulfate and 54 post-treatmentwomen with magnesium sulfate and Puerarin were collected. TUNEL was used to detect apoptosis rate and immunohistochemical method was used to detect expressions of Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase-3 in the trophocytes of placenta.Results Under the detection of TUNEL technique, it was found that there were more numbers of apoptotic trophoblasts in the placenta of post-treatment with magnesium sulfate and Puerarin than normal gravidas,and fewer apoptotie cells appearing than post-treatment with magnesium sulfate .The expressions of Bax, bcl-2 and Caspase-3 were evident in human placental.dicating positive staining of Bax, and Caspase-3 were respectively49. 6±5.7 and 29.5±4.1 in post-treatment with magnesium sulfate and Puerarin group, which were significantly higher than there ofthe normalgravidas.and were significantly lower than there of the post-treatment with magnesium sulfate groups. Coclusion Bax, and Caspase-3 in placenta may play an important role in the pathogenesis of PE, the Puerarin could reduce the expression of BAX and Caspase-3 of placental, and increase the blood supply of uterus-placenta-fetus and improve therapeutic efficiency. Key words: Apoptosis; Placenta; Preeclampsia; Puerarin