Investigating the molecular structure of placenta and plasma in pre-eclampsia by infrared microspectroscopy

In this study, IR microspectroscopy was applied to identify molecular changes associated with the pathogenesis of PE in placental tissues and plasma samples from pre-eclamptic women and normotensive matched controls. The obtained spectra were analyzed by multivariate analysis in the spectral ranges of 3050–2800 cm−1 and 1855–1485 cm−1 corresponding to lipid and protein-carbonyl components, respectively. In the lipid region, an increase in CH2/CH3 ratio was noticed and higher level of unsaturation index in placenta was evident. New lipid species emerged as a consequence of oxidative stress. The more intense peak at 1740 cm−1 in PE reflected higher level of LDL and VLDL. In the protein region, a decrease in the α-helix structure associated with gain in β-sheet and β-turn structures was detected.Our results revealed significant conformational changes in the protein secondary structure in PE illustrated by peak shifts and intensity alterations, particularly in amide I component. Variations in lipid order, membrane integrity, fatty acid saturation and plasma lipid profile were also detected in PE. The ROC curve generated from plasma samples yielded AUC values of 98.4% and 99.9% for lipid and protein-carbonyl regions, respectively. The current study shed light on the promising role of IR microspectroscopy as a new analytical tool that can aid in providing better diagnosis and understanding of the pathophysiology of PE.Graphical abstract
Source: Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research