Mangiferin ameliorates placental oxidative stress and activates PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in mouse model of preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is an inflammatory disease which can induce oxidative stress in placenta. Oxidative stress in preeclampsia is regulated by the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathway. Mangiferin, an anti-oxidative molecule, is reported to ameliorate oxidative stress in the kidney and brain through activating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. We aimed to investigate the effects of mangiferin in a mouse model of preeclampsia, which was induced by phosphatidylserine/dioleoyl-phosphatidycholine (PS/PC) from day 5 to 17 of pregnancy. The female pregnant mice were divided into five groups according to drug treatment. Animals received mangiferin orally at doses of 10, 20, 40 mg/kg/day from day 0.5 to 17. In preeclampsia mouse model, elevated systolic blood pressure and proteinuria were ameliorated by mangiferin treatment. Mangiferin attenuated fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 and placental growth factor expression and oxidative stress in both blood and placenta of preeclampsia mice. The suppressed PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in placenta was activated by mangiferin treatment. This study demonstrates that mangiferin ameliorates placental oxidative stress and activates PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in a mouse model of preeclampsia.