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Effect of baicalein on the expression of VIP in extravillous cytotrophoblasts infected with human cytomegalovirus in vitro

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Summary

This paper aimed to study the ability of baicalein to block human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in extravillous cytotrophoblasts (EVT) and its effect on the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) expression in HCMV-infected EVT in vitro. A human trophoblast cell line (HPT-8) was chosen in this study. HCMV with 100 TCID50 was added into culture medium to infect HPT-8 cells, and then HCMV pp65 antigen was assayed by immunofluorescence staining. The infection status was determined by virus titration. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect virus DNA load in the infected cells. The expression of VIP mRNA and protein in the infected cells was measured by qRT-PCR, immunocytochemistry and Western blotting. Concentration of VIP secreted in supernatants was determined by ELISA. Red-stained HCMV pp65 antigens were found in infected HPT-8 cells 48 h after infection. HCMV replicated in large quantity in infected HPT-8 cells 4 days after infection, reaching a peak at day 6 post-infection. After treatment with baicalein, virus DNA load in infected HPT-8 cells was decreased (P<0.05), and the levels of VIP mRNA and protein, and the concentration were raised to the normal (P>0.05). Our study suggested that baicalein exerts a positive effect on the VIP expression in HCMV-infected EVT at maternal-fetal interface.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China

    Yuan Qiao  (乔 媛), Juan Xiao  (肖 娟), Jing Liu  (刘 静), Yan-li Zhang  (张艳丽) & Su-hua Chen  (陈素华)

  2. Department of Pharmacy, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China

    Jian-guo Fang  (方建国)

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tai’an City Central Hospital, Tai’an, 271000, China

    Tao Liu  (刘 涛)

Authors
  1. Yuan Qiao  (乔 媛)
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  2. Jian-guo Fang  (方建国)
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  3. Juan Xiao  (肖 娟)
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  4. Tao Liu  (刘 涛)
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  5. Jing Liu  (刘 静)
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  6. Yan-li Zhang  (张艳丽)
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  7. Su-hua Chen  (陈素华)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Su-hua Chen  (陈素华).

Additional information

This project was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 39970769, 30371488, 30672243, and 81200354) and the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (No. 2009CDD216).

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Qiao, Y., Fang, Jg., Xiao, J. et al. Effect of baicalein on the expression of VIP in extravillous cytotrophoblasts infected with human cytomegalovirus in vitro . J. Huazhong Univ. Sci. Technol. [Med. Sci.] 33, 406–411 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-013-1132-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-013-1132-9

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