ANANDAMIDE MODULATES OXYTOCIN RECEPTOR EXPRESSION IN HUMAN PLACENTA

CANELA DELÁS, YILENA; ETCHEVERRY TOMÁS; SZPILBARG, NATALIA; SAR JUAN SEBASTIÁN; DE LAURENTIIS ANDREA; FARINA MARIANA

Buenos Aires

Congreso; Congreso Anual SAFIS 2023; 2023

Sociedad Argentina de Fisiología

Introduction: Oxytocin exerts its effects through the oxytocin receptor (OTR), playing a pivotal role in the onset of labor. However, the intricate relationship between oxytocin (OT) and its receptor in the placenta remains poorly understood. Recent evidence points towards the involvement of anandamide (AEA), a key endocannabinoid, in the regulation of labor. AEA is synthesized within the placenta and exhibits a significant rise in plasma levels during labor, contrasting those undergoingelective cesarean sections. Objectives: The specific objetives were: To investigate OTR expression in normal placentas obtained from vaginal deliveries (VD) and cesarean sections (CS), as well as placentas from women with preeclampsia (PE) at term. To examine the effect of AEA on oxytocin receptor (OTR) expression within the placenta. Methods: Placental tissue samples were collected from women at term (37-40 weeks of gestation) from three distinct groups: VD (n=8) with uncomplicated pregnancies, CS (n=9) without uterine contractile activity, PE placentas (n=8) from women with elevated maternal blood pressure and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation. OTR expression was quantified using WB and immunofluorescence. In addition, explants from CS placentas were cultured in the presence of R-(+)-Methanandamide (Met-AEA), a stable AEA analogue, and AM251, a CB1 receptor antagonist. To assess the impact of Met-AEA on cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast, BeWo cells were cultured with or without Met-AEA for 48 h. Results: Our findings demonstrated that VD placentas exhibit significantly higher protein expression of OTR compared to CS and PE placentas (p