miR-203 contributes to pre-eclampsia via inhibition of VEGFA expression

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a common but complex condition that can occur in pregnancy. It is estimated to affect 3–8% of pregnancies worldwide. PE development is thought to be multifactorial and to involve the dysregulation of microRNA (miR) expression. However, the precise mechanisms of PE development remain unclear. The present study aimed to illustrate the association between miR-203 expression and PE development in samples of human placenta collected from mothers with (n=18) and without (n=20) PE. It was demonstrated that miR-203 expression was significantly increased in the PE placenta compared with the normal placenta samples, while the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) was decreased. In vitro experiments revealed that miR-203 overexpression significantly downregulated VEGFA expression and inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion ability of HTR-8/SVneo cells. Suppression of miR-203 expression alleviated these effects. A luciferase reporter assay confirmed the interaction of the 3′-untranslated region of VEGFA with miR-203. Thus, miR-203 may have significant contribution to the development of PE by targeting VEGFA in the human placenta and may have potential as a biomarker or therapeutic target in the treatment of PE.