Expression of hepatocyte growth factor in placenta from pregnancy complicated by PIH and the relationship with umbilical artery blood flow

Aim: To study the expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in placenta from normal pregnancy and pregnancy complicated by pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) and the effect of HGF on the fetal umbilical artery blood flow. Method: Fetal umbilical artery blood flow in 78 cases of normal and pregnancies complicated by PIH were examined before labor. At the same time, the location and intensity of HGF staining in placenta were determined by immunohisto-chemistory. Result: In PIH, immunolocalization of HGF in all cases was observed mainly in villous core mesenchymal cells,while decidual cells express little. Intensity of HGF immnostaining in villous core mesenchymal cells was significantly reduced in the severe PIH group compared with the normal group ( H - 7. 395 , P = 0. 007) , while it has no qualitative differences between the mild and middle PIH group and the normal group( P 0. 05). In severe PIH, the umbilical artery blood flow parameter was higher than that of normal pregnancy(P 0.05) ,and it was negative correlation between the expression of HGF and the umbilical artery blood flow parameter(r, = -0.376 P= 0.001 ,r. = -0. 333P =0. 003) . Conclusion : These results suggest that HGF is secreted mainly by villous core mesenchymal cells in human placenta and the reduced HGF may be responsible,at least in part for the shallow implantation and impaired vascular development in PIH.