Diet Alters Micronutrient Pathways in the Gut and Placenta that Regulate Fetal Growth and Development in Pregnant Mice

Maternal protein restriction combined with postnatal sugar consumption alters liver proteomic profile and metabolic pathways in adult male offspring rats

This study investigated the impact of maternal protein restriction (MPR) and early postnatal sugar consumption (SUG) on the liver health of adult male descendant rats. Male offspring of mothers fed a normal protein diet (NPD) or a low protein diet (LPD) were divided into four groups: Control (CTR), Sugar Control (CTR + SUG), LPD during gestation and lactation (GLLP), and LPD with sugar (GLLP + SUG). Sugar consumption (10% glucose diluted in water) began after weaning on day 21 (PND 21), and at 90 days (PND 90), rats were sacrificed for analysis. Sugar intake reduced food intake and increased water consumption in CTR + SUG and GLLP + SUG compared to CTR and GLLP. GLLP and GLLP + SUG groups showed lower body weight and total and retroperitoneal fat compared to CTR and CTR + SUG. CTR + SUG and GLLP + SUG groups exhibited hepatocyte vacuolization associated with increased hepatic glycogen content compared to CTR and GLLP. Hepatic catalase activity increased in GLLP compared to CTR. Proteomic analysis identified 223 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) among experimental groups. While in the GLLP group, the DEPs enriched molecular pathways related to cellular stress, glycogen metabolic pathways were enriched in the GLLP + SUG and CTR + SUG groups. The association of sugar consumption amplifies the effects of MPR, deregulating molecular mechanisms related to metabolism and the antioxidant system.

Potential Association of Gut Microbial Metabolism and Circulating mRNA Based on Multiomics Sequencing Analysis in Fetal Growth Restriction

Objective

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a significant contributor to negative pregnancy and postnatal developmental outcomes. Currently, the exact pathological mechanism of FGR remains unknown. This study aims to utilize multiomics sequencing technology to investigate potential relationships among mRNA, gut microbiota, and metabolism in order to establish a theoretical foundation for diagnosing and understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying FGR.

Methods

In this study, 11 healthy pregnant women and nine pregnant women with FGR were divided into Control group and FGR group based on the health status. Umbilical cord blood, maternal serum, feces, and placental tissue samples were collected during delivery. RNA sequencing, 16S rRNA sequencing, and metabolomics methods were applied to analyze changes in umbilical cord blood circulating mRNA, fecal microbiota, and metabolites. RT-qPCR, ELISA, or western blot were used to detect the expression of top 5 differential circulating mRNA in neonatal cord blood, maternal serum, or placental tissue samples. Correlation between differential circulating mRNA, microbiota, and metabolites was analyzed by the Spearman coefficient.

Results

The top 5 mRNA genes in FGR were altered with the downregulation of TRIM34, DEFA3, DEFA1B, DEFA1, and QPC, and the upregulation of CHPT1, SMOX, FAM83A, GDF15, and NAPG in newborn umbilical cord blood, maternal serum, and placental tissue. The abundance of Bacteroides, Akkermansia, Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group, Phascolarctobacterium, Parasutterella, Odoribacter, Lachnospiraceae_UCG_010, and Dielma were significantly enriched in the FGR group. Metabolites such as aspartic acid, methionine, alanine, L-tryptophan, 3-methyl-2-oxovalerate, and ketoleucine showed notable functional alterations. Spearman correlation analysis indicated that metabolites like methionine and alanine, microbiota (Tyzzerella), and circulating mRNA (TRIM34, SMOX, FAM83A, NAPG) might play a role as mediators in the communication between the gut and circulatory system interaction in FGR.

Conclusion

Metabolites (METHIONINE, alanine) as well as microbiota (Tyzzerella) and circulating mRNA (TRIM34, SMOX, FAM83A, NAPG) were possible mediators that communicated the interaction between the gut and circulatory systems in FGR.

The Gut Microbiota of Pregnant Rats Alleviates Fetal Growth Restriction by Inhibiting the TLR9/MyD88 Pathway

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a prevalent obstetric condition. This study aimed to investigate the role of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) in regulating the inflammatory response and gut microbiota structure in FGR. An FGR animal model was established in rats, and ODN1668 and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) were administered. Changes in gut microbiota structure were assessed using 16S rRNA sequencing, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was conducted. HTR-8/Svneo cells were treated with ODN1668 and HCQ to evaluate cell growth. Histopathological analysis was performed, and relative factor levels were measured. The results showed that FGR rats exhibited elevated levels of TLR9 and myeloid differentiating primary response gene 88 (MyD88). In vitro experiments demonstrated that TLR9 inhibited trophoblast cell proliferation and invasion. TLR9 upregulated lipopolysaccharide (LPS), LPS-binding protein (LBP), interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α while downregulating IL-10. TLR9 activated the TARF3-TBK1-IRF3 signaling pathway. In vivo experiments showed HCQ reduced inflammation in FGR rats, and the relative cytokine expression followed a similar trend to that observed in vitro. TLR9 stimulated neutrophil activation. HCQ in FGR rats resulted in changes in the abundance of Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group at the family level and the abundance of Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group and Bacteroides at the genus level. TLR9 and associated inflammatory factors were correlated with Bacteroides, Prevotella, Streptococcus, and Prevotellaceae_Ga6A1_group. FMT from FGR rats interfered with the therapeutic effects of HCQ. In conclusion, our findings suggest that TLR9 regulates the inflammatory response and gut microbiota structure in FGR, providing new insights into the pathogenesis of FGR and suggesting potential therapeutic interventions.

The Role of Microbiota in Infant Health: From Early Life to Adulthood

From early life to adulthood, the microbiota play a crucial role in the health of the infant. The microbiota in early life are not only a key regulator of infant health but also associated with long-term health. Pregnancy to early life is the golden time for the establishment of the infant microbiota, which is affected by both environmental and genetic factors. Recently, there is an explosion of the studies on the role of microbiota in human diseases, but the application to disease or health is relatively limited because many aspects of human microbiota remain controversial, especially about the infant microbiota. Therefore, a critical and conclusive review is necessary to understand fully the relationship between the microbiota and the health of infant. In this article, we introduce in detail the role of microbiota in the infant from pregnancy to early life to long-term health. The main contents of this article include the relationship between the maternal microbiota and adverse pregnancy outcomes, the establishment of the neonatal microbiota during perinatal period and early life, the composition of the infant gut microbiota, the prediction of the microbiota for long-term health, and the future study directions of microbiota.