Clin Exp Reprod Med.  2018 Mar;45(1):10-16. 10.5653/cerm.2018.45.1.10.

Effects of selenium on the survival and invasion of trophoblasts

• Na JY
• Seok J
• Park S
• Kim JS
• Kim GJ

• KMID: 2408571
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5653/cerm.2018.45.1.10

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Placental oxidative stress is known to be a factor that contributes to pregnancy failure. The aim of this study was to determine whether selenium could induce antioxidant gene expression and regulate invasive activity and mitochondrial activity in trophoblasts, which are a major cell type of the placenta.
METHODS
To understand the effects of selenium on trophoblast cells exposed to hypoxia, the viability and invasive activity of trophoblasts were analyzed. The expression of antioxidant enzymes was assessed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. In addition, the effects of selenium treatment on mitochondrial activity were evaluated in terms of adenosine triphosphate production, mitochondrial membrane potential, and reactive oxygen species levels.
RESULTS
Selenium showed positive effects on the viability and migration activity of trophoblast cells when exposed to hypoxia. Interestingly, the increased heme oxygenase 1 expression under hypoxic conditions was decreased by selenium treatment, whereas superoxide dismutase expression was increased in trophoblast cells by selenium treatment for 72 hours, regardless of hypoxia. Selenium-treated trophoblast cells showed increased mitochondrial membrane potential and decreased reactive oxygen species levels under hypoxic conditions for 72 hours.
CONCLUSION
These results will be used as basic data for understanding the mechanism of how trophoblast cells respond to oxidative stress and how selenium promotes the upregulation of related genes and improves the survival rate and invasive ability of trophoblasts through regulating mitochondrial activity. These results suggest that selenium may be used in reproductive medicine for purposes including infertility treatment.

Keyword

Antioxidants; Hypoxia; Invasiveness; Mitochondria; Reactive oxygen species; Selenium; Trophoblasts

MeSH Terms

Adenosine Triphosphate
Anoxia
Antioxidants
Gene Expression
Heme Oxygenase-1
Infertility
Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial
Mitochondria
Oxidative Stress
Placenta
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Pregnancy
Reactive Oxygen Species
Reproductive Medicine
Selenium*
Superoxide Dismutase
Survival Rate
Trophoblasts*
Up-Regulation
Adenosine Triphosphate
Antioxidants
Heme Oxygenase-1
Reactive Oxygen Species
Selenium
Superoxide Dismutase