Modulatory effect of black tea on survival and apoptotic proteins in placental Trophoblast and explants during Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a multifactorial pregnancy-specific disease that involves the failure of various body systems and whose etiology has been associated with multiple causes. Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Induction of HO-1 occurs as an adaptive and beneficial response to several injurious stimuli including heme and this inducible nature of HO-1 signifies its importance in several pathophysiological disease states. CYP 19A1 is a prime enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of androgens to estrogens. Oxidative stress is one of the most potent activators of ASK1, which is essential for oxidative stress induced cell death. Black tea is an alternative natural medicine used for the management and treatment of preeclampsia and its associated complications. The present study aims to analyze the prophylactic effect of black tea in the modulation of oxidant-antioxidant status (4-HNE and GSH), HO-1, CYP 19A1 and ASK1 expressions during normotensive and preeclamptic placental trophoblast and placental explants. A significant increase in the level of 4-HNE, ASK1 along with decrease in the level of GSH, HO-1 and CYP 19A1 was observed in preeclamptic placental trophoblast and placental explants respectively. The level of 4-HNE, GSH, HO-1, CYP 19A1 and ASK1 was altered upon the incubation of black tea extracts in preeclamptic placental trophoblast and placental explants respectively. In view of these results, black tea may emerge as an effective antioxidant, protecting cells from adverse conditions and this may be useful for the treatment of pregnancy related complications like preeclampsia.