Involvement of estrogen-related receptor-γ and mitochondrial content in intrauterine growth restriction and preeclampsia

ObjectiveTo measure mitochondrial content and the expression of estrogen-related receptor-γ (ERRγ, a major inducer of mitochondrial biogenesis) in placentas from women with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) associated or not with pre-eclampsia (PE), relative to control placentas.DesignCase–control study.SettingTeaching hospital and university research laboratory.Patient(s)Thirty-nine placentas from women with IUGR, 8 IUGR+PE, and 30 controls.Intervention(s)None.Main Outcome Measure(s)Mitochondrial DNA and protein content, gene and protein expression.Result(s)We observed significantly lower placental mitochondrial DNA and protein contents (associated with down-regulation of ERRγ expression) in IUGR and IUGR+PE placentas, relative to control placentas. Our results also revealed that the placental mitochondrial DNA content was directly correlated with fetal weight. Moreover, we observed significantly lower peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α and sirtuin 1 messenger RNA expression levels in IUGR+PE placentas, relative to control placentas.Conclusion(s)The low mitochondrial DNA and protein contents observed in IUGR placentas are probably due to down-regulation of ERRγ expression. This finding suggests that ERRγ has a major role in the control of placental development.