Heme Oxygenase-1 decreases soluble Fms-like tyrosine Kinase (sFlt-1) in human BeWo and HUVECs cells: role of Nrf2 signalling

Objectives: Oxidative stress of the placenta is considered to be the key intermediate step in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia (PE). The transcription factor Nrf2 regulates mainly the basal defence against oxidative stress. Nrf2 has been lately implicated to regulate angiogenesis via its target enzyme Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). We evaluated first the expression of both Nrf2 and HO-1 in placentae from early-onset preeclampsia cases. Then we examined in vitro the effect of Nrf2 activation on the expression of pro- and anti-angiogenic factors, VEGF and the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1). Methods: The pro…