The role of cholesterol/AlkB homolog 1/Integrin alpha 2b in thrombosis in the placental vessels of preeclampsia

The risk of multiple placental thrombosis is significantly elevated in preeclampsia, and the vascular endothelium plays a vital role in coagulation processes through the secretion of Integrin alpha 2b, von Willebrand factor, and tissue factor. However, the underlying pathological mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, placental blood vessels were collected from both preeclampsia and normal pregnancies. Protein levels of Integrin alpha 2b were found to be up-regulated in preeclampsia samples compared to controls, indicating enhanced coagulation function in preeclampsia placental tissue. Additionally, higher cholesterol levels of plasma and lower AlkB homolog 1 expression in placental blood vessels of preeclampsia were found, overall DNA N6-methyldeoxyadenosine levels were up-regulated. Interestingly, the DNA N6-methyldeoxyadenosine level at the Integrin alpha 2b promoter was decreased. Cholesterol overload experiments in human umbilical vein endothelial cells demonstrated that cholesterol regulates the protein expression of AlkB homolog 1 and Integrin alpha 2b in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, Integrin alpha 2b protein expression was increased following AlkB homolog 1 knockout, but no changes were observed when cholesterol was incubated with AlkB homolog 1 knockout cells. These findings provide critical insights into the roles of cholesterol levels, AlkB homolog 1, and Integrin alpha 2b in coagulation function within placental blood vessels. This information may contribute to further investigations of potential therapeutic targets and early prevention strategies for placental thrombosis in preeclampsia.