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Dienelt A, Keller KC, zur Nieden NI. High glucose impairs osteogenic differentiation of embryonic stem cells via early diversion of beta-catenin from Forkhead box O to T cell factor interaction. Birth Defects Res 2022; 114:1056-1074. [PMID: 36164276 PMCID: PMC9708100 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diabetes, which is characterized by an increase in blood glucose concentration, is accompanied by low bone turnover, increased fracture risk, and the formation of embryonic skeletal malformations. Yet, there are few studies elucidating the underlying alterations in signaling pathways leading to these osteogenic defects. We hypothesized here that bone formation deficiencies in a high glucose environment result from altered activity of beta-catenin (CTNNB1), a key contributor to osteogenic differentiation, dysregulation of which has also been implicated in the development of diabetes. METHODS To test this hypothesis, we used a previously established embryonic stem cell (ESC) model of differentiation that mimics the diabetic environment of the developing embryo. We differentiated murine ESCs within osteogenic-inducing media containing either high (diabetic) or low (physiological) levels of D-glucose and performed time course analyses to study the influence of high glucose on early and late bone cell differentiation. RESULTS Endpoint measures for osteogenic differentiation were reduced in a glucose-dependent manner and expression of precursor-specific markers altered at multiple time points. Furthermore, transcriptional activity of the lymphoid enhancer factor (LEF)/T cell factor (TCF) transcription factors during precursor formation stages was significantly elevated while levels of CTNNB1 complexed with Forkhead box O 3a (FOXO3a) declined. Modulation of AKT, a known upstream regulator of both LEF/TCF and FOXO3a, as well as CTNNB1 rescued some of the reductions in osteogenic output seen in the high glucose condition. CONCLUSIONS Within our in vitro model, we found a clear involvement of LEF/TCF and FOXO3a signaling pathways in the regulation of osteogenic differentiation, which may account for the skeletal deficiencies found in newborns of diabetic mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Dienelt
- Department of Cell Therapy, Applied Stem Cell Technologies Unit, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kevin C. Keller
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology & Stem Cell Center, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Nicole I. zur Nieden
- Department of Cell Therapy, Applied Stem Cell Technologies Unit, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology & Stem Cell Center, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
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2
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Wang H, Zhou W, She G, Yu B, Sun L. Downregulation of hsa_circ_0005243 induces trophoblast cell dysfunction and inflammation via the β-catenin and NF-κB pathways. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2020; 18:51. [PMID: 32434530 PMCID: PMC7238640 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-020-00612-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common complication in pregnancy that poses a serious threat to the health of both mother and child. While the specific etiology and pathogenesis of this disease are not fully understood, it is thought to arise due to a combination of insulin resistance, inflammation, and genetic factors. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a special kind of non-coding RNA that have attracted significant attention in recent years due to their diverse activities, including a potential regulatory role in pregnancy-related diseases, such as GDM. METHODS We previously reported the existence of a novel circRNA, hsa_circ_0005243, which was identified by RNA sequencing. In this study, we examined its expression in 20 pregnant women with GDM and 20 normal pregnant controls using quantitative reverse transcription PCR analysis. Subsequent in vitro experiments were conducted following hsa_circ_0005243 knockdown in HTR-8/SVneo cells to examine the role of hsa_circ_0005243 in cell proliferation and migration, as well as the secretion of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). Finally, we examined the expression of β-catenin and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathways to assess their role in GDM pathogenesis. RESULTS Expression of hsa_circ_0005243 was significantly reduced in both the placenta and plasma of GDM patients. Knockdown of hsa_circ_0005243 in trophoblast cells significantly suppressed cell proliferation and migration ability. In addition, increased secretion of inflammatory factors (TNF-α and IL-6) was observed after hsa_circ_0005243 depletion. Further analyses showed that knockdown of hsa_circ_0005243 reduced the expression of β-catenin and increased nuclear NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation. CONCLUSIONS Downregulation of hsa_circ_0005243 may be associated with the pathogenesis of GDM via the regulation of β-catenin and NF-κB signal pathways, suggesting a new potential therapeutic target for GDM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiyan Wang
- Department of Obstetrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210000, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Obstetrics, Changzhou Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital affiliated Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, 213003, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wenbo Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics, Changzhou Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital affiliated Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, 213003, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guangtong She
- Department of Obstetrics, Changzhou Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital affiliated Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, 213003, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bin Yu
- Department of Obstetrics, Changzhou Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital affiliated Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, 213003, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lizhou Sun
- Department of Obstetrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210000, Jiangsu, China.
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López‐Escobar B, Wlodarczyk BJ, Caro‐Vega J, Lin Y, Finnell RH, Ybot‐González P. The interaction of maternal diabetes with mutations that affect folate metabolism and how they affect the development of neural tube defects in mice. Dev Dyn 2019; 248:900-917. [DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.92] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz López‐Escobar
- Neurodevelopment Research GroupInstitute of Biomedicine of Seville/Hospital Virgen del Rocio/US/CSIC Sevilla Spain
- Department of Nutritional SciencesDell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas USA
| | - Bogdan J. Wlodarczyk
- Department of Nutritional SciencesDell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas USA
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and MedicineBaylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA
| | - Jose Caro‐Vega
- Neurodevelopment Research GroupInstitute of Biomedicine of Seville/Hospital Virgen del Rocio/US/CSIC Sevilla Spain
| | - Ying Lin
- Department of Nutritional SciencesDell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas USA
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and MedicineBaylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA
| | - Richard H. Finnell
- Department of Nutritional SciencesDell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas USA
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and MedicineBaylor College of Medicine Houston Texas USA
| | - Patricia Ybot‐González
- Neurodevelopment Research GroupInstitute of Biomedicine of Seville/Hospital Virgen del Rocio/US/CSIC Sevilla Spain
- Department of Neurology and NeurofisiologyHospital Virgen de Macarena Sevilla Spain
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4
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Herion NJ, Kruger C, Staszkiewicz J, Kappen C, Salbaum JM. Embryonic cell migratory capacity is impaired upon exposure to glucose in vivo and in vitro. Birth Defects Res 2018; 111:999-1012. [PMID: 30451383 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impairments in cell migration during vertebrate gastrulation lead to structural birth defects, such as heart defects and neural tube defects. These defects are more frequent in progeny from diabetic pregnancies, and we have recently provided evidence that maternal diabetes leads to impaired migration of embryonic mesodermal cells in a mouse model of diabetic pregnancy. METHODS We here report the isolation of primary cell lines from normal and diabetes-exposed embryos of the nonobese diabetic mouse strain, and characterization of their energy metabolism and expression of nutrient transporter genes by quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS Expression levels of several genes in the glucose transporter and fatty acid transporter gene families were altered in diabetes-exposed cells. Notably, primary cells from embryos with prior in vivo exposure to maternal diabetes exhibited reduced capacity for cell migration in vitro. CONCLUSIONS Primary cells isolated from diabetes-exposed embryos retained a "memory" of their in vivo exposure, manifesting in cell migration impairment. Thus, we have successfully established an in vitro experimental model for the mesoderm migration defects observed in diabetes-exposed mouse embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Janis Herion
- University of Heidelberg Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Developmental Biology, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
| | - Claudia Kruger
- Department of Developmental Biology, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
| | - Jaroslaw Staszkiewicz
- Department of Developmental Biology, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
| | - Claudia Kappen
- Department of Developmental Biology, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
| | - J Michael Salbaum
- Department of Regulation of Gene Expression, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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Ornoy A, Koren G, Yanai J. Is post exposure prevention of teratogenic damage possible: Studies on diabetes, valproic acid, alcohol and anti folates in pregnancy: Animal studies with reflection to human. Reprod Toxicol 2018; 80:92-104. [DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2018.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2018] [Revised: 05/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Jung TW, Park HS, Choi GH, Kim D, Lee T. CTRP9 Regulates Growth, Differentiation, and Apoptosis in Human Keratinocytes through TGFβ1-p38-Dependent Pathway. Mol Cells 2017; 40:906-915. [PMID: 29145717 PMCID: PMC5750709 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2017.0097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Impairment of wound healing is a common problem in individuals with diabetes. Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived cytokine, has many beneficial effects on metabolic disorders such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. C1q/TNF-Related Protein 9 (CTRP9), the closest paralog of adiponectin, has been reported to have beneficial effects on wound healing. In the current study, we demonstrate that CTRP9 regulates growth, differentiation, and apoptosis of HaCaT human keratinocytes. We found that CTRP9 augmented expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1) by transcription factor activator protein 1 (AP-1) binding activity and phosphorylation of p38 in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated suppression of TGFβ1 reversed the increase in p38 phosphorylation induced by CTRP9. siRNA-mediated suppression of TGFβ1 or p38 significantly abrogated the effects of CTRP9 on cell proliferation and differentiation while inducing apoptosis, implying that CTRP9 stimulates wound recovery through a TGFβ1-dependent pathway in keratinocytes. Furthermore, intravenous injection of CTRP9 via tail vein suppressed mRNA expression of Ki67 and involucrin whereas it augmented TGFβ1 mRNA expression and caspase 3 activity in skin of type 1 diabetes animal models. In conclusion, our results suggest that CTRP9 has suppressive effects on hyperkeratosis, providing a potentially effective therapeutic strategy for diabetic wounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Woo Jung
- Research Administration Team, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam 13620,
Korea
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam 13620,
Korea
| | - Hyung Sub Park
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam 13620,
Korea
| | - Geum Hee Choi
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam 13620,
Korea
| | - Daehwan Kim
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam 13620,
Korea
| | - Taeseung Lee
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam 13620,
Korea
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080,
Korea
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Zhao J, Hakvoort TBM, Ruijter JM, Jongejan A, Koster J, Swagemakers SMA, Sokolovic A, Lamers WH. Maternal diabetes causes developmental delay and death in early-somite mouse embryos. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11714. [PMID: 28916763 PMCID: PMC5601907 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11696-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal diabetes causes congenital malformations and delays embryonic growth in the offspring. We investigated effects of maternal diabetes on mouse embryos during gastrulation and early organogenesis (ED7.5–11.5). Female mice were made diabetic with streptozotocin, treated with controlled-release insulin implants, and mated. Maternal blood glucose concentrations increased up to embryonic day (ED) 8.5. Maternal hyperglycemia induced severe growth retardation (approx.1 day) in 53% of the embryos on ED8.5, death in most of these embryos on ED9.5, and the termination of pregnancy on ED10.5 in litters with >20% dead embryos. Due to this selection, developmental delays and reduction in litter size were no longer observed thereafter in diabetic pregnancies. Male and female embryos were equally sensitive. High-throughput mRNA sequencing and pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes showed that retarded embryos failed to mount the adaptive suppression of gene expression that characterized non-retarded embryos (cell proliferation, cytoskeletal remodeling, oxidative phosphorylation). We conclude that failure of perigastrulation embryos of diabetic mothers to grow and survive is associated with their failure to shut down pathways that are strongly down-regulated in otherwise similar non-retarded embryos. Embryos that survive the early and generalized adverse effect of maternal diabetes, therefore, appear the subset in which malformations become manifest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhao
- Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Theodorus B M Hakvoort
- Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jan M Ruijter
- Department of Anatomy, Embryology & Physiology, AMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Aldo Jongejan
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, AMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jan Koster
- Department of Oncogenomics, AMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Aleksandar Sokolovic
- Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Wouter H Lamers
- Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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Abstract
Diabetic embryopathy is a theoretical enigma and a clinical challenge. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetic pregnancy carry a significant risk for fetal maldevelopment, and the precise reasons for the diabetes-induced teratogenicity are not clearly identified. The experimental work in this field has revealed a partial, however complex, answer to the teratological question, and we will review some of the latest suggestions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulf J. Eriksson
- CONTACT Ulf J. Eriksson Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Biomedical Center, PO Box 571, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
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9
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Gene expression profiling of changes induced by maternal diabetes in the embryonic heart. Reprod Toxicol 2015; 57:147-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2015.06.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Revised: 05/07/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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10
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Wang F, Fisher SA, Zhong J, Wu Y, Yang P. Superoxide Dismutase 1 In Vivo Ameliorates Maternal Diabetes Mellitus-Induced Apoptosis and Heart Defects Through Restoration of Impaired Wnt Signaling. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 8:665-76. [PMID: 26232087 DOI: 10.1161/circgenetics.115.001138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oxidative stress is manifested in embryos exposed to maternal diabetes mellitus, yet specific mechanisms for diabetes mellitus-induced heart defects are not defined. Gene deletion of intermediates of Wingless-related integration (Wnt) signaling causes heart defects similar to those observed in embryos from diabetic pregnancies. We tested the hypothesis that diabetes mellitus-induced oxidative stress impairs Wnt signaling, thereby causing heart defects, and that these defects can be rescued by transgenic overexpression of the reactive oxygen species scavenger superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1). METHODS AND RESULTS Wild-type (WT) and SOD1-overexpressing embryos from nondiabetic WT control dams and nondiabetic/diabetic WT female mice mated with SOD1 transgenic male mice were analyzed. No heart defects were observed in WT and SOD1 embryos under nondiabetic conditions. WT embryos of diabetic dams had a 26% incidence of cardiac outlet defects that were suppressed by SOD1 overexpression. Insulin treatment reduced blood glucose levels and heart defects. Diabetes mellitus increased superoxide production, canonical Wnt antagonist expression, caspase activation, and apoptosis and suppressed cell proliferation. Diabetes mellitus suppressed Wnt signaling intermediates and Wnt target gene expression in the embryonic heart, each of which were reversed by SOD1 overexpression. Hydrogen peroxide and peroxynitrite mimicked the inhibitory effect of high glucose on Wnt signaling, which was abolished by the SOD1 mimetic, tempol. CONCLUSIONS The oxidative stress of diabetes mellitus impairs Wnt signaling and causes cardiac outlet defects that are rescued by SOD1 overexpression. This suggests that targeting of components of the Wnt5a signaling pathway may be a viable strategy for suppression of congenital heart defects in fetuses of diabetic pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Wang
- From the Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences (F.W., J.Z., Y.W., P.Y.), Medicine (S.A.F.), and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (P.Y.), School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore
| | - Steven A Fisher
- From the Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences (F.W., J.Z., Y.W., P.Y.), Medicine (S.A.F.), and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (P.Y.), School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore
| | - Jianxiang Zhong
- From the Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences (F.W., J.Z., Y.W., P.Y.), Medicine (S.A.F.), and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (P.Y.), School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore
| | - Yanqing Wu
- From the Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences (F.W., J.Z., Y.W., P.Y.), Medicine (S.A.F.), and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (P.Y.), School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore
| | - Peixin Yang
- From the Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences (F.W., J.Z., Y.W., P.Y.), Medicine (S.A.F.), and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (P.Y.), School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore.
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López-Escobar B, Cano DA, Rojas A, de Felipe B, Palma F, Sánchez-Alcázar JA, Henderson D, Ybot-González P. The effect of maternal diabetes on the Wnt-PCP pathway during embryogenesis as reflected in the developing mouse eye. Dis Model Mech 2014; 8:157-68. [PMID: 25540130 PMCID: PMC4314781 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.017723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Embryopathies that develop as a consequence of maternal diabetes have been studied intensely in both experimental and clinical scenarios. Accordingly, hyperglycaemia has been shown to downregulate the expression of elements in the non-canonical Wnt-PCP pathway, such as the Dishevelled-associated activator of morphogenesis 1 (Daam1) and Vangl2. Daam1 is a formin that is essential for actin polymerization and for cytoskeletal reorganization, and it is expressed strongly in certain organs during mouse development, including the eye, neural tube and heart. Daam1gt/gt and Daam1gt/+ embryos develop ocular defects (anophthalmia or microphthalmia) that are similar to those detected as a result of hyperglycaemia. Indeed, studying the effects of maternal diabetes on the Wnt-PCP pathway demonstrated that there was strong association with the Daam1 genotype, whereby the embryopathy observed in Daam1gt/+ mutant embryos of diabetic dams was more severe. There was evidence that embryonic exposure to glucose in vitro diminishes the expression of genes in the Wnt-PCP pathway, leading to altered cytoskeletal organization, cell shape and cell polarity in the optic vesicle. Hence, the Wnt-PCP pathway appears to influence cell morphology and cell polarity, events that drive the cellular movements required for optic vesicle formation and that, in turn, are required to maintain the fate determination. Here, we demonstrate that the Wnt-PCP pathway is involved in the early stages of mouse eye development and that it is altered by diabetes, provoking the ocular phenotype observed in the affected embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz López-Escobar
- Grupo de Neurodesarrollo, Unidad de Gestión de Pediatría, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - David A Cano
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Anabel Rojas
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER), 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Beatriz de Felipe
- Grupo de Neurodesarrollo, Unidad de Gestión de Pediatría, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Francisco Palma
- Unidad de Experimentación animal. Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | | | - Deborah Henderson
- Institute of Human Genetics, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Patricia Ybot-González
- Grupo de Neurodesarrollo, Unidad de Gestión de Pediatría, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain.
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Zhao Z. TGFβ and Wnt in cardiac outflow tract defects in offspring of diabetic pregnancies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 101:364-70. [PMID: 25231192 DOI: 10.1002/bdrb.21120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diabetes mellitus in pregnancy causes defects in infant heart, including the outflow tracts (OFTs). Development of the aorta and pulmonary artery, which are derived from the common OFT in the embryo, is regulated by the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) and Wnt families, and can be perturbed by hyperglycemia-generated intracellular stress conditions. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain to be delineated. METHODS Female mice were induced diabetic with streptozotocin. Embryonic and fetal OFTs were examined morphologically and histologically. Cell proliferation was assessed using 5'-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation assay. Oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers and TGFβ factors were detected using immunohistochemistry. The expression of genes in the Wnt-signaling system was assessed using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction array. The role of activin-A in cell proliferation was addressed by treating embryos cultured in high glucose with activin-A. RESULTS Maternal diabetes caused complex abnormalities in the OFTs, including aortic and pulmonary stenosis and persistent truncus arteriosus. The development of the endocardial cushions was suppressed, manifested with insufficient cellularization of the tissues. Cell proliferation was significantly decreased under oxidative and ER stress conditions. The expression of genes in the Wnt signaling was significantly altered. Activin-A and Smad3 were found to be expressed in the OFT. Treatment with activin-A rescued cell proliferation in the endocardial cushions. CONCLUSIONS Maternal diabetes generates oxidative and ER stress conditions, suppresses TGFβ and Wnt signaling, inhibits cell proliferation and cellularization of the endocardial cushions, leading to OFT septal defects. Activin-A plays a role in hyperglycemia-suppressed proliferation of the endocardial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyong Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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Kappen C. Modeling anterior development in mice: diet as modulator of risk for neural tube defects. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS. PART C, SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2013; 163C:333-56. [PMID: 24124024 PMCID: PMC4149464 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.31380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Head morphogenesis is a complex process that is controlled by multiple signaling centers. The most common defects of cranial development are craniofacial defects, such as cleft lip and cleft palate, and neural tube defects, such as anencephaly and encephalocoele in humans. More than 400 genes that contribute to proper neural tube closure have been identified in experimental animals, but only very few causative gene mutations have been identified in humans, supporting the notion that environmental influences are critical. The intrauterine environment is influenced by maternal nutrition, and hence, maternal diet can modulate the risk for cranial and neural tube defects. This article reviews recent progress toward a better understanding of nutrients during pregnancy, with particular focus on mouse models for defective neural tube closure. At least four major patterns of nutrient responses are apparent, suggesting that multiple pathways are involved in the response, and likely in the underlying pathogenesis of the defects. Folic acid has been the most widely studied nutrient, and the diverse responses of the mouse models to folic acid supplementation indicate that folic acid is not universally beneficial, but that the effect is dependent on genetic configuration. If this is the case for other nutrients as well, efforts to prevent neural tube defects with nutritional supplementation may need to become more specifically targeted than previously appreciated. Mouse models are indispensable for a better understanding of nutrient-gene interactions in normal pregnancies, as well as in those affected by metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity.
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Xu C, Li X, Wang F, Weng H, Yang P. Trehalose prevents neural tube defects by correcting maternal diabetes-suppressed autophagy and neurogenesis. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2013; 305:E667-78. [PMID: 23880312 PMCID: PMC3761168 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00185.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Preexisting maternal diabetes increases the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs). The mechanism underlying maternal diabetes-induced NTDs is not totally defined, and its prevention remains a challenge. Autophagy, an intracellular process to degrade dysfunction protein and damaged cellular organelles, regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Because autophagy impairment causes NTDs reminiscent of those observed in diabetic pregnancies, we hypothesize that maternal diabetes-induced autophagy impairment causes NTD formation by disrupting cellular homeostasis, leading to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and apoptosis, and that restoration of autophagy by trehalose, a natural disaccharide, prevents diabetes-induced NTDs. Embryos from nondiabetic and type 1 diabetic mice fed with or without 2 or 5% trehalose water were used to assess markers of autophagy, ER stress, and neurogenesis, numbers of autophagosomes, gene expression that regulates autophagy, NTD rates, indices of mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroepithelial cell apoptosis. Maternal diabetes suppressed autophagy by significantly reducing LC3-II expression, autophagosome numbers, and GFP-LC3 punctate foci in neuroepithelial cells and by altering autophagy-related gene expression. Maternal diabetes delayed neurogenesis by blocking Sox1 neural progenitor differentiation. Trehalose treatment reversed autophagy impairment and prevented NTDs in diabetic pregnancies. Trehalose resolved homeostatic imbalance by correcting mitochondrial defects, dysfunctional proteins, ER stress, apoptosis, and delayed neurogenesis in the neural tubes exposed to hyperglycemia. Our study demonstrates for the first time that maternal diabetes suppresses autophagy in neuroepithelial cells of the developing neural tube, leading to NTD formation, and provides evidence for the potential efficacy of trehalose as an intervention against hyperglycemia-induced NTDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Xu
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and
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15
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Zohn IE. Mouse as a model for multifactorial inheritance of neural tube defects. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 96:193-205. [PMID: 22692891 DOI: 10.1002/bdrc.21011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Neural tube defects (NTDs) such as spina bifida and anencephaly are some of the most common structural birth defects found in humans. These defects occur due to failures of neurulation, a process where the flat neural plate rolls into a tube. In spite of their prevalence, the causes of NTDs are poorly understood. The multifactorial threshold model best describes the pattern of inheritance of NTDs where multiple undefined gene variants interact with environmental factors to cause an NTD. To date, mouse models have implicated a multitude of genes as required for neurulation, providing a mechanistic understanding of the cellular and molecular pathways that control neurulation. However, the majority of these mouse models exhibit NTDs with a Mendelian pattern of inheritance. Still, many examples of multifactorial inheritance have been demonstrated in mouse models of NTDs. These include null and hypomorphic alleles of neurulation genes that interact in a complex fashion with other genetic mutations or environmental factors to cause NTDs. These models have implicated several genes and pathways for testing as candidates for the genetic basis of NTDs in humans, resulting in identification of putative pathogenic mutations in some patients. Mouse models also provide an experimental paradigm to gain a mechanistic understanding of the environmental factors that influence NTD occurrence, such as folic acid and maternal diabetes, and have led to the discovery of additional preventative nutritional supplements such as inositol. This review provides examples of how multifactorial inheritance of NTDs can be modeled in the mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene E Zohn
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
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Li X, Weng H, Xu C, Reece EA, Yang P. Oxidative stress-induced JNK1/2 activation triggers proapoptotic signaling and apoptosis that leads to diabetic embryopathy. Diabetes 2012; 61:2084-92. [PMID: 22688338 PMCID: PMC3402327 DOI: 10.2337/db11-1624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Oxidative stress and apoptosis are implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic embryopathy. The proapoptotic c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinases (JNK)1/2 activation is associated with diabetic embryopathy. We sought to determine whether 1) hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress is responsible for the activation of JNK1/2 signaling, 2) JNK1 contributes to the teratogenicity of hyperglycemia, and 3) both JNK1 and JNK2 activation cause activation of downstream transcription factors, caspase activation, and apoptosis, resulting in neural tube defects (NTDs). Wild-type (WT) embryos from nondiabetic WT dams and WT, superoxide dismutase (SOD)1-overexpressing, jnk1(+/-), jnk1(-/-), and jnk2(-/-) embryos exposed to maternal hyperglycemia were used to assess JNK1/2 activation, NTDs, activation of transcription factors downstream of JNK1/2, caspase cascade, and apoptosis. SOD1 overexpression abolished diabetes-induced activation of JNK1/2 and their downstream effectors: phosphorylation of c-Jun, activating transcription factor 2, and E twenty-six-like transcription factor 1 and dephosphorylation of forkhead box class O3a. jnk1(-/-) embryos had significantly lower incidences of NTDs than those of WT or jnk1(+/-) embryos. Either jnk1 or jnk2 gene deletion blocked diabetes-induced activation of JNK1/2 signaling, caspases 3 and 8, and apoptosis in Sox1(+) neural progenitors of the developing neural tube. Our results show that JNK1 and JNK2 are equally involved in diabetic embryopathy and that the oxidative stress-JNK1/2-caspase pathway mediates the proapoptotic signals and the teratogenicity of maternal diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuezheng Li
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hongbo Weng
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Cheng Xu
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - E. Albert Reece
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Peixin Yang
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Corresponding author: Peixin Yang,
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Salbaum JM, Kappen C. Responses of the embryonic epigenome to maternal diabetes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 94:770-81. [PMID: 22786762 DOI: 10.1002/bdra.23035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2012] [Revised: 04/24/2012] [Accepted: 04/30/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Maternal diabetes and obesity are independent risk factors for neural tube defects, although it is unclear whether the effects are mediated by common pathogenic mechanisms. In this manuscript, we report a genome-wide survey of histone acetylation in neurulation stage embryos from mouse pregnancies with different metabolic conditions: maternal diabetes, and maternal consumption of a high fat content diet. We find that maternal diabetes, and independently, exposure to high-fat diet, are associated with increases and decreases of H3 and H4 histone acetylation in the embryo. Intriguingly, changes of H3K27 acetylation marks are significantly enriched near genes known to cause neural tube defects in mouse mutants. These data suggest that epigenetic changes in response to diet and metabolic condition may contribute to increased risk for neural tube defects in diabetic and obese pregnancies. Importantly, the responses to high-fat diet and maternal diabetes were distinct, suggesting that perturbed embryonic development under these conditions is mediated by different molecular pathways. This conclusion is supported by morphometric analyses that reveal a trend for maternal diabetes to delay embryonic development in the C57BL/6 strain, while high-fat diet appears to be associated with accelerated development. Taken together, our results link changes in histone acetylation to metabolic conditions during pregnancy, and implicate distinct epigenetic mechanisms in susceptibility to neural tube defects under conditions of maternal diabetes and obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Michael Salbaum
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Department of Regulation of Gene Expression, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA.
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Thieme R, Schindler M, Ramin N, Fischer S, Mühleck B, Fischer B, Navarrete Santos A. Insulin growth factor adjustment in preimplantation rabbit blastocysts and uterine tissues in response to maternal type 1 diabetes. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2012; 358:96-103. [PMID: 22465205 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2012.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2011] [Revised: 02/17/2012] [Accepted: 03/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are well-known regulators of embryonic growth and differentiation. IGF function is closely related to insulin action. IGFs are available to the preimplantation embryo through maternal blood (endocrine action), uterine secretions (paracrine action) and by the embryo itself (autocrine action). In rabbit blastocysts, embryonic IGF1 and IGF2 are specifically strong in the embryoblast (ICM). Signalling of IGFs and insulin in blastocysts follows the classical pathway with Erk1/2 and Akt kinase activation. The aim of this study was to analyse signalling of IGFs in experimental insulin dependent diabetes (exp IDD) in pregnancy, employing a diabetic rabbit model with uterine hypoinsulinemia and hyperglycaemia. Exp IDD was induced in female rabbits by alloxan treatment prior to mating. At 6 days p.c., the maternal and embryonic IGFs were quantified by RT-PCR and ELISA. In pregnant females, hepatic IGF1 expression and IGF1 serum levels were decreased while IGF1 and IGF2 were increased in endometrium. In blastocysts, IGF1 RNA and protein was approx. 7.5-fold and 2-fold higher, respectively, than in controls from normoglycemic females. In cultured control blastocysts supplemented with IGF1 or insulin in vitro for 1 or 12 h, IGF1 and insulin receptors as well as IGF1 and IGF2 were downregulated. In cultured T1D blastocysts activation of Akt and Erk1/2 was impaired with lower amounts of total Akt and Erk1/2 protein and a reduced phosphorylation capacity after IGF1 supplementation. Our data show that the IGF axis is severely altered in embryo-maternal interactions in exp IDD pregnancy. Both, the endometrium and the blastocyst produce more IGF1 and IGF2. The increased endogenous IGF1 and IGF2 expression by the blastocyst compensates for the loss of systemic insulin and IGF. However, this counterbalance does not fill the gap of the reduced insulin/IGF sensitivity, leading to a developmental delay of blastocysts in exp IDD pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- René Thieme
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Martin Luther University Faculty of Medicine, Halle (Saale), Germany
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Mukhopadhyay P, Brock G, Webb C, Pisano MM, Greene RM. Strain-specific modifier genes governing craniofacial phenotypes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 94:162-75. [PMID: 22371338 DOI: 10.1002/bdra.22890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2011] [Revised: 12/12/2011] [Accepted: 12/13/2011] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The presence of strain-specific modifier genes is known to modulate the phenotype and pathophysiology of mice harboring genetically engineered mutations. Thus, identification of genetic modifier genes is requisite to understanding control of phenotypic expression. c-Ski is a transcriptional regulator. Ski(-/-) mice on a C57BL6J (B6) background exhibit facial clefting, while Ski(-/-) mice on a 129P3 (129) background present with exencephaly. METHODS In the present study, oligonucleotide-based gene expression profiling was used to identify potential strain-specific modifier gene candidates present in wild type mice of B6 and 129 genetic backgrounds. Changes in gene expression were verified by TaqMan quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS Steady-state levels of 89 genes demonstrated a significantly higher level of expression, and those of 68 genes demonstrated a significantly lower level of expression in the developing neural tubes from embryonic day (E) 8.5, B6 embryos when compared to expression levels in neural tubes derived from E 8.5, 129 embryos. CONCLUSIONS Based on the results from the current comparative microarray study, and taking into consideration a number of relevant published reports, several potential strain-specific gene candidates, likely to modify the craniofacial phenotypes in various knockout mouse models have been identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Partha Mukhopadhyay
- University of Louisville Birth Defects Center, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Craniofacial Biology, ULSD, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40292, USA
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Nordquist N, Luthman H, Pettersson U, Eriksson UJ. Linkage study of embryopathy-polygenic inheritance of diabetes-induced skeletal malformations in the rat. Reprod Toxicol 2012; 33:297-307. [PMID: 22227068 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2011.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2011] [Revised: 12/13/2011] [Accepted: 12/16/2011] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
We developed an inbred rat model of diabetic embryopathy, in which the offspring displays skeletal malformations (agnathia or micrognathia) when the mother is diabetic, and no malformations when she is not diabetic. Our aim was to find genes controlling the embryonic maldevelopment in a diabetic environment. We contrasted the fetal outcome in inbred Sprague-Dawley L rats (20% skeletal malformations in diabetic pregnancy) with that of inbred Wistar Furth rats (denotedW, no skeletal malformations in diabetic pregnancy). We used offspring from the backcross F(1)×L to probe for the genetic basis for malformation of the mandible in diabetic pregnancy. A set of 186 fetuses (93 affected, 93 unaffected) was subjected to a whole genome scan with 160 micro satellites. Analysis of genotype distribution indicated 7 loci on chromosome 4, 10 (3 loci), 14, 18, and 19 in the teratogenic process (and 14 other loci on 12 chromosomes with less strong association to the malformations), several of which contained genes implicated in other experimental studies of diabetic embryopathy. These candidate genes will be scrutinized in further experimentation. We conclude that the genetic involvement in rodent diabetic embryopathy is polygenic and predisposing for congenital malformations.
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Thieme R, Ramin N, Fischer S, Püschel B, Fischer B, Santos AN. Gastrulation in rabbit blastocysts depends on insulin and insulin-like-growth-factor 1. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2012; 348:112-9. [PMID: 21827825 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2011.07.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2011] [Revised: 07/24/2011] [Accepted: 07/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Insulin and insulin-like-growth-factor 1 (IGF1) are components of the uterine secretions. As potent growth factors they influence early embryo development. The underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Here we report on the effects of insulin and IGF1 on early gastrulation in rabbit blastocysts. We have studied blastocysts grown in vivo in metabolically healthy rabbits, in rabbits with type 1 diabetes and in vitro in the presence or absence of insulin or IGF1. Embryonic disc morphology and expression of Brachyury, Wnt3a and Wnt4 were analysed by qPCR and IHC. Pre-gastrulated blastocysts (stage 0/1) cultured with insulin or IGF1 showed a significantly higher capacity to form the posterior mesoderm and primitive streak (stage 2 and 3) than blastocysts cultured without growth factors. In gastrulating blastocysts the levels of the mesoderm-specific transcription factor Brachyury and the Wnt signalling molecules Wnt3a and Wnt4 showed a stage-specific expression pattern with Brachyury transcripts increasing from stage 0/1 to 3. Wnt4 protein was found spread over the whole embryoblast. Insulin induced Wnt3a, Wnt4 and Brachyury expression in a temporal- and stage-specific pattern. Only blastocysts cultured with insulin reached the Wnt3a, Wnt4 and Brachyury expression levels of stage 2 in vivo blastocysts, indicating that insulin is required for Wnt3a, Wnt4 and Brachyury expression during gastrulation. Insulin-induced Wnt3a and Wnt4 expression preceded Brachyury. Wnt3a-induced expression could be depleted by MEK1 inhibition (PD98059). Involvement of insulin in embryonic Wnt3a expression was further shown in vivo with Wnt3a expression being notably down regulated in stage 2 blastocysts from rabbits with type 1 diabetes. Blastocysts grown in diabetic rabbits are retarded in development, a finding which supports our current results that insulin is highly likely required for early mesoderm formation in rabbit blastocysts by inducing a distinct spatiotemporal expression profile of Wnt3a, Wnt4 and Brachyury.
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Affiliation(s)
- René Thieme
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Martin Luther University Faculty of Medicine, 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany.
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22
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Wentzel P, Eriksson UJ. Altered gene expression in rat cranial neural crest cells exposed to a teratogenic glucose concentration in vitro: paradoxical downregulation of antioxidative defense genes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 92:487-97. [PMID: 21818840 DOI: 10.1002/bdrb.20321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2011] [Accepted: 06/06/2011] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diabetic pregnancy is associated with increased risk of malformation in the infant. Diabetes-induced anomalies of the face and heart are strongly correlated with neural crest cell (NCC) maldevelopment. We aimed to study glucose-induced alterations of mRNA levels in cranial and trunk NCCs isolated from rat embryos with increased risk of developing mandibular and cardiac malformations in diabetic pregnancy. METHODS Inbred Sprague-Dawley rat embryos were used for NCC isolation from neural tube explants. The migrating cells were exposed to 5.5 or 30 mmol/l glucose concentration for 48 hr, harvested, and prepared for gene expression measurement by RT-PCR or immunostaining with either distal-less (Dlx) or AP-2-α antibodies. RESULTS Evaluation of the immunostained slides showed that approximately 75% of the cells were of NCC origin. Exposure to 30 mM glucose decreased mRNA levels of Copper-Zinc superoxide dismutase, manganese superoxide dismutase, extracellular superoxide dismutase, Catalase, Gpx-1, Nrf2, poly-ADP ribose polymerase, B-cell leukemia/lymphoma protein 2, and β-Catenin genes in cranial neural crest explant cultures. In addition, Pax-3, Pax-6, Wnt3a, and Apc mRNA levels were decreased by high glucose exposure in both cranial and trunk neural crest explant cultures. CONCLUSION Cranial NCCs diminish their mRNA levels of antioxidative enzymes and the Nrf2 response factor, as well as the antiapoptotic B-cell leukemia/lymphoma protein 2 gene, in response to increased ambient glucose concentration. Furthermore, both cranial and trunk NCC decrease the mRNA levels of the transcription factors Pax-3 and Pax-6, as well as key components of the Wnt pathway. These patterns of glucose-altered gene expression in a developmentally important cell population may be of etiological importance for NCC-associated malformations in diabetic pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parri Wentzel
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Biomedical Center, Sweden.
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Salbaum JM, Kappen C. Diabetic embryopathy: a role for the epigenome? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 91:770-80. [PMID: 21538816 DOI: 10.1002/bdra.20807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2010] [Revised: 02/04/2011] [Accepted: 02/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic development under adverse conditions, such as maternal diabetes or obesity during pregnancy, constitutes a major risk factor for birth defects, as well as for long-term health consequences and disease susceptibility in the offspring. While contributions from epigenetic changes have been invoked previously to explain the long-term changes in terms of developmental programming, we here review how maternal metabolism may directly affect the embryonic epigenome in relationship to teratogenic processes. We consider four epigenetic modalities--DNA methylation, non-coding RNA, transcription factors, and histone modifications--and their contribution to epigenetic memory, and discuss how epigenomic changes may mediate the altered control of embryonic gene expression brought about by maternal diabetes. In combination, the epigenomic modalities serve to define transcription-permissive domains of the genome, resulting in distinct epigenomic landscapes in different developmental cell types. We evaluate experimental approaches to characterize the epigenome in adverse pregnancy conditions, highlighting the role of next-generation sequencing on the technological side, while emphasizing the necessity to study defined cell populations in terms of biologic impact. Finally, we outline the challenges in moving from findings that correlate epigenomics to developmental phenotypes to scenarios that establish teratogenic causality.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Michael Salbaum
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA.
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Salbaum JM, Kappen C. Neural tube defect genes and maternal diabetes during pregnancy. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 88:601-11. [PMID: 20564432 DOI: 10.1002/bdra.20680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal diabetes during pregnancy is a well-known teratogen that increases the risk for birth defects, such as neural tube defects (NTDs). We have previously shown that maternal diabetes profoundly affects gene expression in the developing embryo, in particular a suite of known NTD genes. In rodent experimental systems, NTDs present as phenotypes of incomplete penetrance in diabetic pregnancies. This property is difficult to reconcile with observations of consistently altered gene expression in exposed embryos. We here show that maternal diabetes increases the overall variability of gene expression levels in embryos. RESULTS Altered gene expression and increased variability of gene expression together may constitute the molecular correlates for incomplete phenotype penetrance. DISCUSSION Based on this model, we suggest that maternal diabetes reduces the precision of gene regulation in exposed individuals. Loss of precision in embryonic gene regulation may include changes to the epigenome via deregulated expression of chromatin-modifying factors. Unraveling the mechanisms underlying such epigenetic modifications in diabetic pregnancies will help to understand how teratogenic insults compromise embryonic development and possibly provide avenues for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Michael Salbaum
- Laboratory of Regulation of Gene Expression, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808, USA.
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Abstract
The worldwide increase in the incidence of diabetes, the increase in type 2 diabetes in women at reproductive ages, and the cross-generation of the intrauterine programming of type 2 diabetes are the bases for the growing interest in the use of experimental diabetic models in order to gain insight into the mechanisms of induction of developmental alterations in maternal diabetes. In this scenario, experimental models that present the most common features of diabetes in pregnancy are highly required. Several important aspects of human diabetic pregnancies such as the increased rates of spontaneous abortions, malformations, fetoplacental impairments, and offspring diseases in later life can be approached by using the appropriate animal models. The purpose of this review is to give a practical and critical guide into the most frequently used experimental models in diabetes and pregnancy, discuss their advantages and limitations, and describe the aspects of diabetes and pregnancy for which these models are thought to be adequate. This review provides a comprehensive view and an extensive analysis of the different models and phenotypes addressed in diabetic animals throughout pregnancy. The review includes an analysis of the surgical, chemical-induced, and genetic experimental models of diabetes and an evaluation of their use to analyze early pregnancy defects, induction of congenital malformations, placental and fetal alterations, and the intrauterine programming of metabolic diseases in the offspring's later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Jawerbaum
- Laboratory of Reproduction and Metabolism, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Kappen C, Kruger C, MacGowan J, Salbaum JM. Maternal diet modulates the risk for neural tube defects in a mouse model of diabetic pregnancy. Reprod Toxicol 2010; 31:41-9. [PMID: 20868740 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2010.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2010] [Revised: 08/17/2010] [Accepted: 09/04/2010] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Pregnancies complicated by maternal diabetes have long been known to carry a higher risk for congenital malformations, such as neural tube defects. Using the FVB inbred mouse strain and the Streptozotocin-induced diabetes model, we tested whether the incidence of neural tube defects in diabetic pregnancies can be modulated by maternal diet. In a comparison of two commercial mouse diets, which are considered nutritionally replete, we found that maternal consumption of the unfavorable diet was associated with a more than 3-fold higher rate of neural tube defects. Our results demonstrate that maternal diet can act as a modifier of the risk for abnormal development in high-risk pregnancies, and provide support for the possibility that neural tube defects in human diabetic pregnancies might be preventable by optimized maternal nutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Kappen
- Department of Developmental Biology, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA.
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Pavlinkova G, Salbaum JM, Kappen C. Maternal diabetes alters transcriptional programs in the developing embryo. BMC Genomics 2009; 10:274. [PMID: 19538749 PMCID: PMC2715936 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-10-274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2009] [Accepted: 06/18/2009] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Maternal diabetes is a well-known risk factor for birth defects, such as heart defects and neural tube defects. The causative molecular mechanisms in the developing embryo are currently unknown, and the pathogenesis of developmental abnormalities during diabetic pregnancy is not well understood. We hypothesized that the developmental defects are due to alterations in critical developmental pathways, possibly as a result of altered gene expression. We here report results from gene expression profiling of exposed embryos from a mouse diabetes model. Results In comparison to normal embryos at mid-gestation, we find significantly altered gene expression levels in diabetes-exposed embryos. Independent validation of altered expression was obtained by quantitative Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction. Sequence motifs in the promoters of diabetes-affected genes suggest potential binding of transcription factors that are involved in responses to oxidative stress and/or to hypoxia, two conditions known to be associated with diabetic pregnancies. Functional annotation shows that a sixth of the de-regulated genes have known developmental phenotypes in mouse mutants. Over 30% of the genes we have identified encode transcription factors and chromatin modifying proteins or components of signaling pathways that impinge on transcription. Conclusion Exposure to maternal diabetes during pregnancy alters transcriptional profiles in the developing embryo. The enrichment, within the set of de-regulated genes, of those encoding transcriptional regulatory molecules provides support for the hypothesis that maternal diabetes affects specific developmental programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Pavlinkova
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5455, USA.
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