The impact of antiandrogen flutamide on the hypoxia inducible factor 1a and vascular endothelial growth factor A gene and protein expression in the pig placenta during late pregnancy.

INTRODUCTION: In contrast to estradiol action, little is known about androgen signaling in placental development. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of diminished androgen action on hypoxia inducible factor 1a (HIF-1a) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) protein expression as well as their mRNAs in the structures of fetal and maternal parts of porcine placenta during late pregnancy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Pregnant pigs were injected daily with antiandrogen flutamide, at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight at different stages of pregnancy: between gestational days 83-89 (90 dpc) and 101-107 (108 dpc). Control groups (90 dpc or 108 dpc) were treated with vehicle (corn oil). One day after the last injection animals were sacrificed and tissues were collected. Tissue samples were frozen for mRNA isolation or fixed for immu-nohistochemistry (IHC). The expression of HIF-1a and VEGFA were investigated by real-time PCR and IHC.

RESULTS: Flutamide treatment caused changes in both HIF-1a and VEGFA mRNA levels only in the placentas of the 90 dpc group. Relative optical density analysis showed decreased HIF-1a and increased VEGFA protein expression in the placentas obtained from flutamide-treated 108 dpc group while no differences were observed in the 90 dpc group.

CONCLUSIONS: Experimentally induced androgen deficiency in pigs deregulates the expression of some genes important for placental blood circulation. We suggest that androgens are involved in the control of expression of HIF-1a and VEGFA in porcine placenta during late pregnancy.