Effect of Vitamin D3 Treatment on Genes Expression of Corticotrophin Releasing Hormone (CRH), CRH Receptor 1 (CRH-R1) and Connexin-43 (CON-43) in PHM1-41 Cell Line that Induced by Hypoxia

Abstract

Introduction: Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis activity is one of pathophysiologic mechanism that caused preterm labor. Biologic maternal stress, for instance hypoxia condition, is one of the causes that can trigger preterm birth occasion through the activation of HPA axis. It increases Corticotrophin Releasing Hormone (CRH), CRH receptor 1 (CRH-R1), and Connexin-43 (CON-43) as the trigger of the contraction process. Vitamin D as a source of Ca2+ ion is needed for myometrium smooth muscle’s concentrations and relaxation mechanism. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of vitamin D3 in PHM1-41 cell line. Materials and Methods: The human smooth muscle uterine myometrium cell line PHM1-41 as an in vitro model experimental subject, treated by hypoxia oxidative stress condition and added by vitamin D3 (5, 10, 50 and 150 nM). The dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) fluorescent was used to measure the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, RNA of treated PHM1-41cells was isolated for analyzing gene expressions such as CRH, CRH-R1, and CON-43 as a profile of contractility regulation. Results: ROS level effectively decrease in the cells that treated by 150 nM vitamin D3 group compared to the control hypoxia cell group (7.16 ± 0.23 and 19.49 ± 1.76, respectively). Expression of CRH, CRH-R1, and CON-43 genes are also decrease by treated with 150 nM vitamin D3 to the cells. Pearson (parametric) correlation analysis evidenced a negative correlation between the vitamin D3 additional treated to the lower of ROS level, CRH, CRH-R1, and CON-43 genes expression on PHM1-41 cell line that induced by oxidative stress condition. Conclusion: The concentration of 150 nM vitamin D3 was a prominent potency to prevent the incidence of preterm labor.
 HIGHLIGHTS
 
 Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis is one of the causes of preterm birth that marked by high level of intracellular ROS leads to increasing of Corticotrophin Releasing Hormone (CRH) which has significant role in aterm and preterm labor
 PHMI-41 cells can describe the Corticotrophin Releasing Hormone (CRH), CRH receptor 1 (CRH-R1), and Connexin-43 (CON-43) genes expression level so it was used as model of human pregnancy condition
 Vitamin D3 is one of antioxidant agent that can decrease ROS level also CRH, CRH-R1, and CON-43 genes expression on PHM1-41 cell especially at doses of 150 nM which shown a prominent potency to prevent the preterm labor incidence
 
 GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT