| First Author | Cui Y | Year | 2012 |
| Journal | Nature | Volume | 484 |
| Issue | 7393 | Pages | 246-50 |
| PubMed ID | 22437503 | Mgi Jnum | J:183869 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5319447 | Doi | 10.1038/nature10897 |
| Citation | Cui Y, et al. (2012) Role of corin in trophoblast invasion and uterine spiral artery remodelling in pregnancy. Nature 484(7393):246-50 |
| abstractText | In pregnancy, trophoblast invasion and uterine spiral artery remodelling are important for lowering maternal vascular resistance and increasing uteroplacental blood flow. Impaired spiral artery remodelling has been implicated in pre-eclampsia, a major complication of pregnancy, for a long time but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Corin (also known as atrial natriuretic peptide-converting enzyme) is a cardiac protease that activates atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a cardiac hormone that is important in regulating blood pressure. Unexpectedly, corin expression was detected in the pregnant uterus. Here we identify a new function of corin and ANP in promoting trophoblast invasion and spiral artery remodelling. We show that pregnant corin- or ANP-deficient mice developed high blood pressure and proteinuria, characteristics of pre-eclampsia. In these mice, trophoblast invasion and uterine spiral artery remodelling were markedly impaired. Consistent with this, the ANP potently stimulated human trophoblasts in invading Matrigels. In patients with pre-eclampsia, uterine Corin messenger RNA and protein levels were significantly lower than that in normal pregnancies. Moreover, we have identified Corin gene mutations in pre-eclamptic patients, which decreased corin activity in processing pro-ANP. These results indicate that corin and ANP are essential for physiological changes at the maternal-fetal interface, suggesting that defects in corin and ANP function may contribute to pre-eclampsia. |
