Deficiency of HtrA4 in BeWo cells downregulates angiogenesis through IL-6/JAK/STAT3 signaling

In a previous study, we investigated the effects of high-temperature requirement factor A4 (HtrA4) deficiency on trophoblasts using the BeWo KO cell line. However, the effects of this deficiency on angiogenesis remain unclear. To explore the role of HtrA4 in angiogenesis, HUVECs were co-cultured with wild-type BeWo cells (BeWo WT), BeWo KO, and HtrA4-rescued BeWo KO (BeWo KO-HtrA4 rescue) cells. Dil staining and dextran analysis revealed that HUVECs co-cultured with BeWo KO formed tubes, but they were often disjointed compared to those co-cultured with BeWo WT, BeWo KO-HtrA4 rescue, and HUVECs controls. RT-PCR, ELISA, and western blot analysis were performed to assess angiogenesis-related factors at the mRNA and protein levels. HtrA4 deficiency inhibited IL-6 expression in trophoblasts, and the reduced secretion of IL-6 decreases VEGFA expression in HUVECs by modulating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway to prevent tube formation. Moreover, rescuing HtrA4 expression restored the HUVEC tube formation ability. Interestingly, IL-6 expression was lower in supernatants with only cultured HUVECs than in co-cultured HUVECs with BeWo WT cells, but the HUVEC tube formation ability was similar. These findings suggest that the promoting angiogenesis-related signaling pathway differs between only HUVECs and co-cultured HUVECs, and that the deficiency of HtrA4 weakens the activation of the IL-6/JAK/STAT3/VEGFA signaling pathway, reducing the ability of tube formation in HUVECs. HtrA4 deficiency in trophoblasts hinders angiogenesis and may contribute to placental dysfunction.