What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Case-Control. Population: Preeclampsia (n=28). Intervention: Preeclampsia vs. Healthy normotensive pregnancy. Primary outcome: Expression of mitochondrial fusion (MFN1/2) and fission (p-DRP1) proteins in placental tissue (p=<0.05).

What question did this study set out to answer?

This research investigates the relationship between mitochondrial dynamics and placental dysfunction in preeclampsia.

June 27, 2026Scientific Reports0 citationsOpen Access

Imbalanced mitochondrial fusion/fission in human placenta: a potential link to preeclampsia

Q: What are the key findings of this study?

Preeclampsia is associated with disrupted placental mitochondrial dynamics, characterized by significantly reduced fusion proteins (MFN1/2) and elevated fission protein (p-DRP1) compared to healthy controls.

Q: What question did this study set out to answer?

This research investigates the relationship between mitochondrial dynamics and placental dysfunction in preeclampsia.

JLJianying LiuGanzhou People's Hospital YXYujing XuWeifang Medical University SHSun HGuangzhou University of Chinese Medicine

Key Result

Preeclampsia is associated with disrupted placental mitochondrial dynamics, characterized by significantly reduced fusion proteins (MFN1/2) and elevated fission protein (p-DRP1) compared to healthy controls.

Key Points

This research investigates the relationship between mitochondrial dynamics and placental dysfunction in preeclampsia.
Analyzed placental tissues from 28 pregnant women (14 with preeclampsia and 14 controls)
Measured levels of PlGF and sFlt-1 to assess placental function
Evaluated mitochondrial markers MFN1/2 and p-DRP1 in relation to oxidative stress and ATP production
PE group showed reduced PlGF levels and increased sFlt-1 compared to controls
Impaired mitochondrial dynamics with decreased MFN1/2 and increased p-DRP1 observed in PE patients
Associated with higher oxidative stress, increased apoptosis, and lowered ATP production in PE group

Study Design

Type

Case-Control (n=28)

Multicenter

Structured PICO

Does imbalanced mitochondrial fusion/fission correlate with preeclampsia in pregnant women?

Population

28 pregnant women aged 20-40 years with singleton spontaneous pregnancies undergoing elective cesarean delivery, comprising 14 with preeclampsia and 14 healthy controls.

Comparator

Normal control group (n=14)

Outcome

Placental function (PlGF, sFlt-1) and mitochondrial dynamics (MFN1/2, p-DRP1)surrogate

Imbalanced mitochondrial fusion/fission and resulting oxidative stress and energy metabolism disturbances may contribute to the etiology of preeclampsia.

Main Result

p-value: p=<0.05

Limitations

Single-center retrospective design
Relatively small sample size may introduce selection bias

Abstract

We aimed to examine how placental dysfunction and impaired mitochondrial fusion/fission balance correlate with preeclampsia (PE) in human placentas, shedding light on the underlying etiology of PE. Twenty-eight pregnant women who received antenatal care at the Obstetrics Medical Center of Weifang People’s Hospital between November 2024 and May 2025. They were divided into a PE group ( n = 14) and a normal control group ( n = 14). Placental tissues from pregnant women with PE or with healthy control were analyzed. Compared to controls, the PE group exhibited impaired placental function (evidenced by decreased PlGF and increased sFlt-1) and disrupted mitochondrial dynamics (characterized by reduced MFN1/2 and elevated p-DRP1). These alterations were accompanied by increased oxidative stress and apoptosis, alongside decreased ATP production. Imbalanced mitochondrial fusion/fission may contribute to placental dysfunction through mechanisms involving oxidative stress, disturbed energy metabolism, and cell apoptosis, leading to the occurrance of PE.

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