Antagonistic Relationship of Interferon-Inducible Protein 10 and Lipoxin A4 in HTR-8-SVneo Cells: A Pilot Study

Background: Proper invasion and growth of trophoblast cells are crucial for the prevention of preeclampsia. This pilot study, conducted with a small sample size, focused on the regulatory effects of interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) and lipoxin A4 (LXA4) on HTR-8-SVneo trophoblast cells. Methods: A total of 5 patients with preeclampsia and 5 normotensive pregnant women were enrolled in this study. Serum and placental levels of IP-10, LXA4, and the LXA4 receptor (ALX) were measured. Both IP-10 and ALX were silenced in HTR-8-SVneo cells. The effects on HTR-8-SVneo cell behaviors were assessed using wound healing assay, transwell assay, colony formation assay, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay, flow cytometry, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Inflammatory and oxidative stress markers were measured using biochemical assay. Apoptosis-related proteins were measured via western blotting. Results: High levels of IP-10 and low levels of LXA4, accompanied by decreased ALX expression, were observed in patients with preeclampsia. IP-10 knockdown significantly stimulated the invasion, migration and proliferation of HTR-8-SVneo cells while inhibiting apoptosis, whereas ALX silencing exerted the opposite effects. Silencing of IP-10 or ALX also produced opposing effects on the regulation of oxidative stress and inflammation in HTR-8-SVneo cells. Conclusions: Although this pilot study has a small sample size (n = 5 per group) and inherent limitations, it provides noteworthy preliminary evidence of an antagonistic relationship between IP-10 and LXA4 in HTR-8-SVneo cells.