Abstract
In order to study the mechanisms leading to increased inhibin A and activin A in maternal serum with advancing gestation and increased inhibin A in Down's syndrome pregnancy, the mRNA expression level of inhibin and activin subunits was quantitatively studied in human placenta using Northern blot and semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis. The corresponding protein level was also determined by specific ELISAs for inhibin A, inhibin B, activin A and inhibin pro αC in placental extracts. Normal placenta (n=27) showed a slight significant increase in α and βA subunit mRNA levels in term pregnancy, with no change of the corresponding protein level. Placenta from Down's syndrome pregnancies (n=6) did not differ from controls in either mRNA expression or corresponding protein levels. In conclusion, there is a dissociation between inhibin and activin subunit mRNA levels and the corresponding protein levels in maternal serum, and Down's syndrome inhibin A increase is not explained by mRNA expression upregulation. In an additional study, ovarian cortex tissue from term pregnancies (n=3) were examined. Only the α subunit mRNA was expressed, at a higher level than in the placenta, suggesting that ovary could be a source of inhibin pro αC during pregnancy.
Published Version
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