Involvement of estrogen-related receptor-γ and mitochondrial content in intrauterine growth restriction and preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE

To measure mitochondrial content and the expression of estrogen-related receptor-γ (ERRγ, a major inducer of mitochondrial biogenesis) in placentas from women with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) associated or not with pre-eclampsia (PE), relative to control placentas.

DESIGN

Case-control study.

SETTING

Teaching hospital and university research laboratory.

PATIENT(S): Thirty-nine placentas from women with IUGR, 8 IUGR+PE, and 30 controls.

INTERVENTION(S): None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Mitochondrial DNA and protein content, gene and protein expression.

RESULT(S): We observed significantly lower placental mitochondrial DNA and protein contents (associated with down-regulation of ERRγ expression) in IUGR and IUGR+PE placentas, relative to control placentas. Our results also revealed that the placental mitochondrial DNA content was directly correlated with fetal weight. Moreover, we observed significantly lower peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α and sirtuin 1 messenger RNA expression levels in IUGR+PE placentas, relative to control placentas.

CONCLUSION(S): The low mitochondrial DNA and protein contents observed in IUGR placentas are probably due to down-regulation of ERRγ expression. This finding suggests that ERRγ has a major role in the control of placental development.