Abstract
Hypoxia during pregnancy impairs uterine vascular adaptation via microRNA-210 (miR-210)-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) generation. TET methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (TET2) participates in regulating inflammation and oxidative stress and its deficiency contributes to the pathogenesis of multiple cardiovascular diseases. Thus, we hypothesize a role of TET2 in hypoxia/miR-210-mediated mtROS suppressing spontaneous transient outward currents (STOCs) in uterine arteries. We found that gestational hypoxia downregulated TET2 in uterine arteries of pregnant sheep and TET2 was a target of miR-210. Knockdown of TET2 with small interfering RNAs suppressed mitochondrial respiration, increased mtROS, inhibited STOCs and elevated myogenic tone. By contrast, overexpression of TET2 negated hypoxia- and miR-210-induced mtROS. The effects of TET2 knockdown in uterine arteries on mtROS, STOCs and myogenic contractions were blocked by the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant MitoQ. In addition, the recovery effects of inhibiting endogenous miR-210 with miR-210-LNA on hypoxia-induced suppression of STOCs and augmentation of myogenic tone were reversed by TET2 knockdown in uterine arteries. Together, our study reveals a novel mechanistic link between the miR-210-TET2-mtROS pathway and inhibition of STOCs and provides new insights into the understanding of uterine vascular maladaptation in pregnancy complications associated with gestational hypoxia. KEY POINTS: Gestational hypoxia downregulates TET methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (TET2) in uterine arteries of pregnant sheep. TET2 is a downstream target of microRNA-210 (miR-210) and miR-210 mediates hypoxia-induced TET2 downregulation. Knockdown of TET2 in uterine arteries recapitulates the effect of hypoxia and miR-210 and impairs mitochondrial bioenergetics and increases mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) . Overexpression of TET2 negates the effect of hypoxia and miR-210 on increasing mtROS. TET2 knockdown reiterates the effect of hypoxia and miR-210 and suppresses spontaneous transient outward currents (STOCs) and elevates myogenic tone, and these effects are blocked by MitoQ. Knockdown of TET2 reverses the miR-210-LNA-induced reversal of the effects of hypoxia on STOCs and myogenic tone in uterine arteries.