{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:37:36Z","timestamp":1787027856747,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,16]],"date-time":"2024-01-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1705363200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Research Foundation of Korea","award":["NRF-2018R1D1A1B07048788"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NRF-2018R1D1A1B07048788"]}]},{"name":"National Research Foundation of Korea","award":["NRF-2022R1F1A1072767"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NRF-2022R1F1A1072767"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["CIMB"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Smoking cigarettes is known to lower the risk of preeclampsia. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of smoking on the expression of soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and endoglin (sEng)-1 and the role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in pregnant mice. We developed a smoking mouse model using a gas-filling system. One or two cigarettes per day were exposed to each of the five pregnant mice for five days a week throughout pregnancy. AhR agonist and antagonist were injected. Serum levels and expression in the placenta of sFlt-1, VEGF, and sEng-1 were analyzed and compared among the cigarette smoke and no-exposure groups after delivery. Compared to the no-smoke exposure group, the serum level of sFlt-1 was significantly decreased in the two-cigarette-exposed group (p &lt; 0.001). When the AhR antagonist was added to the two-cigarette-exposed group, sFlt-1 levels were significantly increased compared to the two-cigarette group (p = 0.002). The levels of sFlt-1 in the AhR antagonist group did not change regardless of two-cigarette exposure (p = 0.064). With the AhR agonist, sFlt-1 decreased significantly compared to the control (p = 0.001) and AhR antagonist group (p = 0.002). The sFlt-1 level was significantly decreased after the injection of the AhR agonist compared to the control group (p = 0.001). Serum levels of VEGF were significantly decreased in the one-cigarette-exposed group compared to the control group; however, there was no difference between the control and the two-cigarette-exposed groups. The placental expression of sFlt-1, VEGF, and sEng were inconsistent. This study offers insights into the potential role of AhR on antiangiogenic sFlt-1 associated with preeclampsia. It may support the invention of a new treatment strategy for preeclampsia using AhR activation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cimb46010048","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,16]],"date-time":"2024-01-16T11:37:18Z","timestamp":1705405038000},"page":"741-752","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["The Role of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor in Vascular Factors Related to Preeclampsia in a Smoking Mouse Model"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"46","author":[{"given":"Ho-Yeon","family":"Kim","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University School of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ye-Seon","family":"Seok","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetric and Gynecology, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul 08308, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-7953-6542","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hye-Yeon","family":"Moon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University School of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Geum-Joon","family":"Cho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University School of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ki-Hoon","family":"Ahn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University School of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9330-7620","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Soon-Cheol","family":"Hong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University School of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Min-Jeong","family":"Oh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University School of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hai-Joong","family":"Kim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University School of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2017). 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