Reduced expressions of connexin 43 and VEGF in the first-trimester tissues from women with recurrent pregnancy loss

BACKGROUND: Approximately 45–50 % of the recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) remain(s) unexplained that challenges its clinical management. Formation and development of placenta as well as angiogenesis are critical for successful pregnancy. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and connexin 43 (Cx43) play important roles in angiogenesis and placenta development and aberration of these have been linked to RPL. We aimed to investigate whether the expressions of VEGF and Cx43 were altered in the first-trimester tissues (chorionic villi and decidua) collected from women with RPL compared to those from healthy early pregnant women. METHODS: First-trimester chorionic villi and decidua were collected from pregnant women diagnosed RPL who ended up with surgical intervention (n = 28) in comparison to those collected from women requesting surgical termination of their unwanted normal first-trimester pregnancies (n = 28). These two groups of women were matched in age and gestational weeks. Tissues were analyzed for the protein and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expressions of Cx43 and VEGF by immunohistochemistry, western blot, and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: The expressions of both Cx43 and VEGF at the level of mRNA and protein in the villi and decidua from women with RPL were significantly decreased compared with those from women with normal early pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Reduction of Cx43 and VEGF expressed in the first-trimester tissues might indicate their important roles involved in RPL and thus holds the potential to develop pharmaceutical therapies for treatment of RPL. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12958-016-0179-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.