Fig 1: CBD treatment alters markers of mitochondrial and cellular stress and antioxidant capacity and induces oxidative stress in cytotrophoblasts. Undifferentiated (CT) BeWo b30 cells were treated with 20 μM CBD over 48 h. (A–D) Changes in mRNA levels of HSP60, HSP70, SOD1 and SOD2 were normalized to 18S and β-Actin and were assessed using RT-qPCR (n ≥ 5 biological replicates), relative to vehicle control (Veh). (E,F) Changes in protein levels of 4HNE (n = 4 biological replicates) were assessed using Western blotting and normalized to β-actin expression. Cell lysates (25 μg/lane) of each treatment were loaded on SDS-PAGE and probed using a rabbit polyclonal anti-4HNE (Abcam, ab46545) antibody. (G) Mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) was determined in both untreated (Utx) cells and following 0 (vehicle), 1, 10 and 20 µM of CBD treatment (n = 6 biological replicates per treatment condition) in CTs using the JC-1 assay kit (Abcam, ab113850). CT vehicle = 0.1% methanol. Results were plotted as mean ± SEM and compared using either Student’s t-test (for groups ≤ 2), or one-way ANOVA (for groups ≥ 3): p < 0.01 (**), p < 0.001 (***), p < 0.0001 (****). Statistically significant changes were represented by distinct letters on bar graphs where any different letter represents a significant difference of at least p < 0.05.
Fig 2: CBD treatment alters markers of mitochondrial and cellular stress, antioxidant capacity and differentiation, and induces oxidative stress in syncytiotrophoblasts. Differentiated (ST) BeWo b30 cells were treated with 20 μM CBD over 48 h. (A–D) Changes in mRNA levels of HSP60, HSP70, SOD1 and SOD2 were normalized to 18S and β-Actin and were assessed using RT-qPCR (N ≥ 5 biological replicates), relative to vehicle control (Veh). (E,F) Changes in protein levels of 4HNE (n = 4 biological replicates) were assessed using Western blotting and normalized to β-actin expression. Cell lysates (25 μg/lane) of each treatment were loaded on SDS-PAGE and probed using a rabbit polyclonal anti-4HNE (Abcam, ab46545) antibody. (G) Intracellular ROS levels were quantified using the DCFDA assay (Abcam, ab113851) in ST cells following treatment with 20 μM CBD compared to vehicle control (n = 24 biological replicates). A total of 10 nM of rotenone (Rot) was used as a positive control and results were normalized to total protein content determined through the BCA assay. (H) Mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) was determined in both untreated (Utx) cells and following 0 (vehicle), 1, 10 and 20 µM of CBD treatment (n = 6 biological replicates per treatment condition) in STs using the JC-1 assay kit (Abcam, ab113850). ST vehicle = 0.1% methanol, EGF, FSK. Results were plotted as mean ± SEM and compared using either Student’s t-test (for groups ≤ 2), or one-way ANOVA (for groups ≥ 3): p < 0.05 (*), p < 0.01 (**), p < 0.0001 (****). Statistically significant changes were represented by distinct letters on bar graphs where any different letter represents a significant difference of at least p < 0.05.
Supplier Page from Abcam for JC-1 - Mitochondrial Membrane Potential Assay Kit