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Wang W, Zhang X, Li Y, Shen J, Li Y, Xing W, Bai J, Shi J, Zhou Y. Generation and Characterization of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Carrying An ASXL1 Mutation. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2024; 20:1889-1901. [PMID: 38884929 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-024-10737-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Additional sex combs-like 1 (ASXL1) is an epigenetic modulator frequently mutated in myeloid malignancies, generally associated with poor prognosis. Current models for ASXL1-mutated diseases are mainly based on the complete deletion of Asxl1 or overexpression of C-terminal truncations in mice models. However, these models cannot fully recapitulate the pathogenesis of myeloid malignancies. Patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provide valuable disease models that allow us to understand disease-related molecular pathways and develop novel targeted therapies. Here, we generated iPSCs from a patient with myeloproliferative neoplasm carrying a heterozygous ASXL1 mutation. The iPSCs we generated exhibited the morphology of pluripotent cells, highly expressed pluripotent markers, excellent differentiation potency in vivo, and normal karyotype. Subsequently, iPSCs with or without ASXL1 mutation were induced to differentiate into hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, and we found that ASXL1 mutation led to myeloid-biased output and impaired erythroid differentiation. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that terms related to embryonic development, myeloid differentiation, and immune- and neural-related processes were most enriched in the differentially expressed genes. Western blot demonstrated that the global level of H2AK119ub was significantly decreased when mutant ASXL1 was present. Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing showed that most genes associated with stem cell maintenance were upregulated, whereas occupancies of H2AK119ub around these genes were significantly decreased. Thus, the iPSC model carrying ASXL1 mutation could serve as a potential tool to study the pathogenesis of myeloid malignancies and to screen targeted therapy for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology &Blood Diseases Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, 300020, China
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaoru Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology &Blood Diseases Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, 300020, China
| | - Yunan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology &Blood Diseases Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, 300020, China
| | - Jun Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology &Blood Diseases Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, 300020, China
- Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin, 301600, China
| | - Yihan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology &Blood Diseases Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, 300020, China
| | - Wen Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology &Blood Diseases Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, 300020, China
- Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin, 301600, China
| | - Jie Bai
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300211, China
| | - Jun Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology &Blood Diseases Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, 300020, China.
- Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin, 301600, China.
| | - Yuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology &Blood Diseases Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, 300020, China.
- Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin, 301600, China.
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2
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Bazzano MV, Köninger A, Solano ME. Beyond defence: Immune architects of ovarian health and disease. Semin Immunopathol 2024; 46:11. [PMID: 39134914 PMCID: PMC11319434 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-024-01021-w] [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: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
Throughout the individual's reproductive period of life the ovary undergoes continues changes, including cyclic processes of cell death, tissue regeneration, proliferation, and vascularization. Tissue-resident leucocytes particularly macrophages, play a crucial role in shaping ovarian function and maintaining homeostasis. Macrophages crucially promote angiogenesis in the follicles and corpora lutea, thereby supporting steroidogenesis. Recent research on macrophage origins and early tissue seeding has unveiled significant insights into their role in early organogenesis, e.g. in the testis. Here, we review evidence about the prenatal ovarian seeding of leucocytes, primarily macrophages with angiogenic profiles, and its connection to gametogenesis. In the prenatal ovary, germ cells proliferate, form cysts, and undergo changes that, following waves of apoptosis, give rice to the oocytes contained in primordial follicles. These follicles constitute the ovarian reserve that lasts throughout the female's reproductive life. Simultaneously, yolk-sac-derived primitive macrophages colonizing the early ovary are gradually replaced or outnumbered by monocyte-derived fetal macrophages. However, the cues indicating how macrophage colonization and follicle assembly are related are elusive. Macrophages may contribute to organogenesis by promoting early vasculogenesis. Whether macrophages contribute to ovarian lymphangiogenesis or innervation is still unknown. Ovarian organogenesis and gametogenesis are vulnerable to prenatal insults, potentially programming dysfunction in later life, as observed in polycystic ovary syndrome. Experimental and, more sparsely, epidemiological evidence suggest that adverse stimuli during pregnancy can program defective folliculogenesis or a diminished follicle reserve in the offspring. While the ovary is highly sensitive to inflammation, the involvement of local immune responses in programming ovarian health and disease remains to be thoroughly investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Victoria Bazzano
- Laboratory of Translational Perinatology, University of Regensburg, Biopark 1-3, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Angela Köninger
- University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinic St. Hedwig of The Order of St. John, University of Regensburg, Steinmetzstr. 1-3, D-93049, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Maria Emilia Solano
- Laboratory of Translational Perinatology, University of Regensburg, Biopark 1-3, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany.
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Ganguly A, Ghosh S, Jin P, Wadehra M, Devaskar SU. Omega-3 reverses the metabolic and epigenetically regulated placental phenotype acquired from preconceptional and peri-conceptional exposure to air pollutants. J Nutr Biochem 2024; 134:109735. [PMID: 39122219 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2024.109735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 08/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Air pollution is detrimental to pregnancy adversely affecting maternal and child health. Our objective was to unravel epigenetic mechanisms mediating the effect of preconception, periconception, and gestational exposure to inhaled air pollutants (AP) upon the maternal and placental-fetal phenotype and explore the benefit of an omega-3 rich dietary intervention. To this end, we investigated intranasal instilled AP during 8 weeks of preconception, periconception, and gestation (G; D0 to 18) upon GD16-19 maternal mouse metabolic status, placental nutrient transporters, placental-fetal size, and placental morphology. Prepregnant mice were glucose intolerant and insulin resistant, while pregnant mice were glucose intolerant but displayed no major placental macro-nutrient transporter changes, except for an increase in CD36. Placentas revealed inflammatory cellular infiltration with cellular edema, necrosis, hemorrhage, and an increase in fetal body weight. Upon examination of placental genome-wide epigenetic processes of DNA sequence specific 5'-hydroxymethylation (5'-hmC) and 5'-methylation (5'-mC) upon RNA sequenced gene expression profiles, revealed changes in key metabolic, inflammatory, transcriptional, and cellular processing genes and pathways. An omega-3 rich anti-inflammatory diet from preconception (8 weeks) through periconception and gestation (GD0-18), ameliorated all these maternal and placental-fetal adverse effects. We conclude that preconceptional, periconceptional and gestational exposures to AP incite a maternal inflammatory response resulting in features of pre-existing maternal diabetes mellitus with injury to the placental-fetal unit. DNA 5'-mC more than 5'-hmC mediated AP induced maternal inflammatory and metabolic dysregulation which together alter placental gene expression and phenotype. A dietary intervention partially reversing these adversities provides possibilities for a novel nutrigenomic therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Ganguly
- Department of Pediatrics and the UCLA Children's Discovery and Innovation Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Shubhamoy Ghosh
- Department of Pediatrics and the UCLA Children's Discovery and Innovation Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Peng Jin
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Madhuri Wadehra
- Department of Pathology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Sherin U Devaskar
- Department of Pediatrics and the UCLA Children's Discovery and Innovation Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA.
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Wekema L, Schoenmakers S, Schenkelaars N, Laskewitz A, Liu L, Walters L, Harmsen HJM, Steegers-Theunissen RPM, Faas MM. Obesity and diet independently affect maternal immunity, maternal gut microbiota and pregnancy outcome in mice. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1376583. [PMID: 39072322 PMCID: PMC11272480 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1376583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Maternal obesity poses risks for both mother and offspring during pregnancy, with underlying mechanisms remaining largely unexplored. Obesity is associated with microbial gut dysbiosis and low-grade inflammation, and also the diet has a major impact on these parameters. This study aimed to investigate how maternal obesity and diet contribute to changes in immune responses, exploring potential associations with gut microbiota dysbiosis and adverse pregnancy outcomes in mice. Methods Before mating, C57BL/6 mice were assigned to either a high-fat-diet (HFD) or low-fat-diet (LFD) to obtain obese (n=17) and lean (n=10) mice. To distinguish between the effects of obesity and diet, 7 obese mice were switched from the HFD to the LFD from day 7 until day 18 of pregnancy ("switch group"), which was the endpoint of the study. T helper (Th) cell subsets were studied in the spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and Peyer's patches (PP), while monocyte subsets and activation status were determined in maternal blood (flow cytometry). Feces were collected before and during pregnancy (day 7,14,18) for microbiota analysis (16S rRNA sequencing). Pregnancy outcome included determination of fetal and placental weight. Results Obesity increased splenic Th1 and regulatory T cells, MLN Th1 and PP Th17 cells and enhanced IFN-γ and IL-17A production by splenic Th cells upon ex vivo stimulation. Switching diet decreased splenic and PP Th2 cells and classical monocytes, increased intermediate monocytes and activation of intermediate/nonclassical monocytes. Obesity and diet independently induced changes in the gut microbiota. Various bacterial genera were increased or decreased by obesity or the diet switch. These changes correlated with the immunological changes. Fetal weight was lower in the obese than the lean group, while placental weight was lower in the switch than the obese group. Discussion This study demonstrates that obesity and diet independently impact peripheral and intestinal immune responses at the end of pregnancy. Simultaneously, both factors affect specific bacterial gut genera and lead to reduced fetal or placental weight. Our data suggest that switching diet during pregnancy to improve maternal health is not advisable and it supports pre/probiotic treatment of maternal obesity-induced gut dysbiosis to improve maternal immune responses and pregnancy outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieske Wekema
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Sam Schoenmakers
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Nicole Schenkelaars
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anne Laskewitz
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Lisa Walters
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Hermie J. M. Harmsen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Marijke M. Faas
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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5
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Zhang CXW, Candia AA, Sferruzzi-Perri AN. Placental inflammation, oxidative stress, and fetal outcomes in maternal obesity. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2024; 35:638-647. [PMID: 38418281 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2024.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
The obesity epidemic has led to a growing body of research investigating the consequences of maternal obesity on pregnancy and offspring health. The placenta, traditionally viewed as a passive intermediary between mother and fetus, is known to play a critical role in modulating the intrauterine environment and fetal development, and we now know that maternal obesity leads to increased inflammation, oxidative stress, and altered placental function. Here, we review recent research exploring the involvement of inflammation and oxidative stress as mechanisms impacting the placenta and fetus during obese pregnancy. Understanding them is crucial for informing strategies that can mitigate the adverse health effects of maternal obesity on offspring development and disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy X W Zhang
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alejandro A Candia
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Institute of Health Sciences, University of O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
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Moazzam S, Noorjahan N, Jin Y, Nagy JI, Kardami E, Cattini PA. Effect of high fat diet on maternal behavior, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neural stem cell proliferation in mice expressing human placental lactogen during pregnancy. J Neuroendocrinol 2024; 36:e13258. [PMID: 36989439 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Maternal obesity is a serious health concern because it increases risks of neurological disorders, including anxiety and peripartum depression. In mice, a high fat diet (HFD) in pregnancy can negatively affect placental structure and function as well as maternal behavior reflected by impaired nest building and pup-retrieval. In humans, maternal obesity in pregnancy is associated with reduced placental lactogen (PL) gene expression, which has been linked to a higher risk of depression. PL acting predominantly through the prolactin receptor maintains energy homeostasis and is a marker of placenta villous trophoblast differentiation during pregnancy. Impaired neurogenesis and low serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have also been implicated in depression. Augmented neurogenesis in brain during pregnancy was reported in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of mice at gestation day 7 and linked to increased prolactin receptor signaling. Here, we used transgenic CD-1 mice that express human (h) PL during pregnancy to investigate whether the negative effects of diet on maternal behavior are mitigated in these (CD-1[hGH/PL]) mice. Specifically, we examined the effect of a HFD on nest building prepartum and pup retrieval postpartum, as well as on brain BDNF levels and neurogenesis. In contrast to wild-type CD-1[WT]mice, CD-1[hGH/PL] mice displayed significantly less anxiety-like behavior, and showed no impairment in prepartum nest building or postpartum pup-retrieval when fed a HFD. Furthermore, the HFD decreased prepartum and increased postpartum BDNF levels in CD-1[WT] but not CD-1[hGH/PL] mice. Finally, neurogenesis in the SVZ as well as phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase, indicative of lactogenic signaling, appeared unaffected by pregnancy and diet at gestation day 7 in CD-1[hGH/PL] mice. These observations indicate that CD-1[hGH/PL] mice are resistant to the negative effects of HFD reported for CD-1[WT] mice, including effects on maternal behaviors and BDNF levels, and potentially, neurogenesis. This difference probably reflects a direct or indirect effect of the products of the hGH/PL transgene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Showall Moazzam
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Noshin Noorjahan
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Yan Jin
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - James I Nagy
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Elissavet Kardami
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Peter A Cattini
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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Basak S, Mallick R, Navya Sree B, Duttaroy AK. Placental Epigenome Impacts Fetal Development: Effects of Maternal Nutrients and Gut Microbiota. Nutrients 2024; 16:1860. [PMID: 38931215 PMCID: PMC11206482 DOI: 10.3390/nu16121860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Evidence is emerging on the role of maternal diet, gut microbiota, and other lifestyle factors in establishing lifelong health and disease, which are determined by transgenerationally inherited epigenetic modifications. Understanding epigenetic mechanisms may help identify novel biomarkers for gestation-related exposure, burden, or disease risk. Such biomarkers are essential for developing tools for the early detection of risk factors and exposure levels. It is necessary to establish an exposure threshold due to nutrient deficiencies or other environmental factors that can result in clinically relevant epigenetic alterations that modulate disease risks in the fetus. This narrative review summarizes the latest updates on the roles of maternal nutrients (n-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, vitamins) and gut microbiota on the placental epigenome and its impacts on fetal brain development. This review unravels the potential roles of the functional epigenome for targeted intervention to ensure optimal fetal brain development and its performance in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Basak
- Molecular Biology Division, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad 500007, India; (S.B.); (B.N.S.)
| | - Rahul Mallick
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland;
| | - Boga Navya Sree
- Molecular Biology Division, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad 500007, India; (S.B.); (B.N.S.)
| | - Asim K. Duttaroy
- Department of Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway
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Zafaranieh S, Siwetz M, Leopold-Posch B, Kummer D, Huppertz B, Desoye G, van Poppel M. Placental structural adaptation to maternal physical activity and sedentary behavior: findings of the DALI lifestyle study. Hum Reprod 2024; 39:deae090. [PMID: 38733100 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deae090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Are maternal levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (ST) in obese pregnant women associated with placental structural adaptations for facilitating oxygen delivery to the fetus? SUMMARY ANSWER Higher maternal MVPA and ST are associated with a higher density of villi, a proxy measure of placental surface area for oxygen delivery to the fetus, without further added placental vessels. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Physical activity during pregnancy intermittently reduces uterine blood flow, potentially limiting placental and fetal oxygen supply. The placenta can mount several adaptive responses, including enlargement of the surface area of villi and/or feto-placental vessels to accommodate fetal needs. Early research on the morphology and growth of the placenta with exercise interventions has shown inconsistencies and is lacking, particularly in non-lean pregnant women. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This study is a secondary longitudinal analysis of the vitamin D and lifestyle intervention for gestational diabetes prevention (DALI) randomized controlled trial. The prospective study was conducted between 2012 and 2015 in nine European countries at 11 different sites. In this analysis, 92 pregnant women with a BMI ≥ 29 kg/m2 were combined into one cohort. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS MVPA and percentage of time spent sedentary (% ST) were measured with accelerometers during gestation. Placental sections were immunostained for endothelial cell-specific CD34. Artificial intelligence (AI)-based stereology assessed villous density, number, and cross-sectional area of vessels on whole-slide images and in selected regions comprising peripheral villi only, where the majority of vascular adaptations occur. Expression of pro- and anti-angiogenic factors was quantified using molecular counting analysis. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE In multivariable regression, higher levels of maternal MVPA (min/day) were associated with a higher density of villi in both whole-slide images (beta 0.12; 95% CI 0.05, 0.2) and selected regions (0.17; CI 0.07, 0.26). Unexpectedly, ST was also positively associated with density of villi (0.23; CI 0.04, 0.43). MVPA and ST were not associated with vessel count/mm2 villous area, vessel area, or pro- and anti-angiogenic factor mRNA expression. All estimates and statistical significance of the sensitivity analyses excluding smokers, women who developed gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia and/or pregnancy-induced hypertension were similar in the main analysis. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The placenta is a complex organ undergoing dynamic changes. While various adjustments were made to account for different maternal contributing factors, in addition to the outcome measures, various other factors could impact oxygen delivery to the fetus. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS For the first time, we evaluated the association between placental structures quantified using an AI-based approach with objectively measured physical activity and ST at multiple time points in pregnant women with obesity. The observed adaptations contribute to the advancement of our understanding of the hemodynamics and adaptations of the placental unit in response to MVPA and ST. However, our results might not be generalizable to lean pregnant women. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) The DALI project has received funding from the European Community's 7th Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 242187. The funders had no role in study design, collection of data, analyses, writing of the article, or the decision to submit it for publication. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ISRCTN70595832.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saghi Zafaranieh
- Department of Human Movement Science, Sport and Health, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Monika Siwetz
- Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Daniel Kummer
- Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Berthold Huppertz
- Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Gernot Desoye
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Mireille van Poppel
- Department of Human Movement Science, Sport and Health, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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Yang X, Hu R, Yao L, Zhang W, Shi M, Gong J, Yuan X, Li Y, Yan J, Wang Y, Zhang Q, He Z, Hou DX, Fan Z, Zhang H, Chen L, He X, He J, Wu S. The role of uterus mitochondrial function in high-fat diet-related adverse pregnancy outcomes and protection by resveratrol. Food Funct 2024; 15:4852-4861. [PMID: 38573228 DOI: 10.1039/d4fo00671b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
This study elucidates the mechanism of obesity-related adverse pregnancy outcomes and further investigates the effect of resveratrol on reproductive performance in a short- or long-term HFD-induced obese mouse model. Results show that maternal weight had a significant positive correlation with litter mortality in mice. A long-term HFD increased body weight and litter mortality with decreased expression of uterine cytochrome oxidase 4 (COX4), which was recovered by resveratrol in mice. Moreover, HFD decreased the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), nuclear respiratory factors-1 (Nrf-1), and phosphorylated adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK) and increased the expression of phosphorylated extracellular regulated protein kinases (p-ERK) in the uterus. Resveratrol, a polyphenol that can directly bind to the ERK protein, suppressed the phosphorylation of ERK, increased the expression of p-AMPK, PGC-1α and Nrf-1, and decreased litter mortality in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xizi Yang
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Ruizhi Hu
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Liping Yao
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Wentao Zhang
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Mingkun Shi
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Jiatai Gong
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Xupeng Yuan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Biological and Electromechanical Polytechnic, Changsha 410127, China
| | - Yanli Li
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Jiahao Yan
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Ying Wang
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Qianjin Zhang
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Ziyu He
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
| | - De-Xing Hou
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
| | - Zhiyong Fan
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Hongfu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Liang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xi He
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Jianhua He
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Shusong Wu
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
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Candia AA, Lean SC, Zhang CXW, McKeating DR, Cochrane A, Gulacsi E, Herrera EA, Krause BJ, Sferruzzi-Perri AN. Obesogenic Diet in Mice Leads to Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in the Mother in Association with Sex-Specific Changes in Fetal Development, Inflammatory Markers and Placental Transcriptome. Antioxidants (Basel) 2024; 13:411. [PMID: 38671859 PMCID: PMC11047652 DOI: 10.3390/antiox13040411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obesity during pregnancy is related to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Factors involved in these outcomes may include increased maternal insulin resistance, inflammation, oxidative stress, and nutrient mishandling. The placenta is the primary determinant of fetal outcomes, and its function can be impacted by maternal obesity. The aim of this study on mice was to determine the effect of obesity on maternal lipid handling, inflammatory and redox state, and placental oxidative stress, inflammatory signaling, and gene expression relative to female and male fetal growth. METHODS Female mice were fed control or obesogenic high-fat/high-sugar diet (HFHS) from 9 weeks prior to, and during, pregnancy. On day 18.5 of pregnancy, maternal plasma, and liver, placenta, and fetal serum were collected to examine the immune and redox states. The placental labyrinth zone (Lz) was dissected for RNA-sequencing analysis of gene expression changes. RESULTS the HFHS diet induced, in the dams, hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress (reduced catalase, elevated protein oxidation) and the activation of pro-inflammatory pathways (p38-MAPK), along with imbalanced circulating cytokine concentrations (increased IL-6 and decreased IL-5 and IL-17A). HFHS fetuses were asymmetrically growth-restricted, showing sex-specific changes in circulating cytokines (GM-CSF, TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-γ). The morphology of the placenta Lz was modified by an HFHS diet, in association with sex-specific alterations in the expression of genes and proteins implicated in oxidative stress, inflammation, and stress signaling. Placental gene expression changes were comparable to that seen in models of intrauterine inflammation and were related to a transcriptional network involving transcription factors, LYL1 and PLAG1. CONCLUSION This study shows that fetal growth restriction with maternal obesity is related to elevated oxidative stress, inflammatory pathways, and sex-specific placental changes. Our data are important, given the marked consequences and the rising rates of obesity worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro A. Candia
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; (A.A.C.); (C.X.W.Z.); (D.R.M.); (A.C.); (E.G.)
- Institute of Health Sciences, University of O’Higgins, Rancagua 2841959, Chile;
- Pathophysiology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7500922, Chile;
- Department for the Woman and Newborn Health Promotion, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380453, Chile
| | - Samantha C. Lean
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; (A.A.C.); (C.X.W.Z.); (D.R.M.); (A.C.); (E.G.)
| | - Cindy X. W. Zhang
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; (A.A.C.); (C.X.W.Z.); (D.R.M.); (A.C.); (E.G.)
| | - Daniel R. McKeating
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; (A.A.C.); (C.X.W.Z.); (D.R.M.); (A.C.); (E.G.)
| | - Anna Cochrane
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; (A.A.C.); (C.X.W.Z.); (D.R.M.); (A.C.); (E.G.)
| | - Edina Gulacsi
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; (A.A.C.); (C.X.W.Z.); (D.R.M.); (A.C.); (E.G.)
| | - Emilio A. Herrera
- Pathophysiology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7500922, Chile;
| | - Bernardo J. Krause
- Institute of Health Sciences, University of O’Higgins, Rancagua 2841959, Chile;
| | - Amanda N. Sferruzzi-Perri
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; (A.A.C.); (C.X.W.Z.); (D.R.M.); (A.C.); (E.G.)
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11
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Mani S, Garifallou J, Kim SJ, Simoni MK, Huh DD, Gordon SM, Mainigi M. Uterine macrophages and NK cells exhibit population and gene-level changes after implantation but maintain pro-invasive properties. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1364036. [PMID: 38566989 PMCID: PMC10985329 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1364036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Prior to pregnancy, hormonal changes lead to cellular adaptations in the endometrium allowing for embryo implantation. Critical for successful pregnancy establishment, innate immune cells constitute a significant proportion of uterine cells prior to arrival of the embryo and throughout the first trimester in humans and animal models. Abnormal uterine immune cell function during implantation is believed to play a role in multiple adverse pregnancy outcomes. Current work in humans has focused on uterine immune cells present after pregnancy establishment, and limited in vitro models exist to explore unique functions of these cells. Methods With single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq), we comprehensively compared the human uterine immune landscape of the endometrium during the window of implantation and the decidua during the first trimester of pregnancy. Results We uncovered global and cell-type-specific gene signatures for each timepoint. Immune cells in the endometrium prior to implantation expressed genes associated with immune metabolism, division, and activation. In contrast, we observed widespread interferon signaling during the first trimester of pregnancy. We also provide evidence of specific inflammatory pathways enriched in pre- and post-implantation macrophages and natural killer (NK) cells in the uterine lining. Using our novel implantation-on-a-chip (IOC) to model human implantation ex vivo, we demonstrate for the first time that uterine macrophages strongly promote invasion of extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs), a process essential for pregnancy establishment. Pre- and post-implantation uterine macrophages promoted EVT invasion to a similar degree as pre- and post-implantation NK cells on the IOC. Conclusions This work provides a foundation for further investigation of the individual roles of uterine immune cell subtypes present prior to embryo implantation and during early pregnancy, which will be critical for our understanding of pregnancy complications associated with abnormal trophoblast invasion and placentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sneha Mani
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - James Garifallou
- Division of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Se-jeong Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michael K. Simoni
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Dan Dongeun Huh
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- National Science Foundation (NSF) Science and Technology Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Scott M. Gordon
- Division of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Monica Mainigi
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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12
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Huang Z, Yang Y, Ma S, Li J, Ye H, Chen Q, Li Z, Deng J, Tan C. KLF4 down-regulation underlies placental angiogenesis impairment induced by maternal glucose intolerance in late pregnancy. J Nutr Biochem 2024; 124:109509. [PMID: 37907170 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2023.109509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Maternal glucose intolerance in late pregnancy can easily impair pregnancy outcomes and placental development. The impairment of placental angiogenesis is closely related to the occurrence of glucose intolerance during pregnancy, but the mechanism remains largely unknown. In this study, the pregnant mouse model of maternal high-fat diet and endothelial injury model of porcine vascular endothelial cells (PVECs) was used to investigate the effect of glucose intolerance on pregnancy outcomes and placental development. Feeding pregnant mice, a high-fat diet was shown to induce glucose intolerance in late pregnancy, and significantly increase the incidence of resorbed fetuses. Moreover, a decrease was observed in the proportion of blood sinusoids area and the expression level of CD31 in placenta, indicating that placental vascular development was impaired by high-fat diet. Considering that hyperglycemia is an important symptom of glucose intolerance, we exposed PVECs to high glucose (50 mM), which verified the negative effects of high glucose on endothelial function. Bioinformatics analysis further emphasized that high glucose exposure could significantly affect the angiogenesis-related functions of PVECs and predicted that Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) may be a key mediator of these functional changes. The subsequent regulation of KLF4 expression confirmed that the inhibition of KLF4 expression was an important reason why high glucose impaired the endothelial function and angiogenesis of PVECs. These results indicate that high-fat diet can aggravate maternal glucose intolerance and damage pregnancy outcome and placental angiogenesis, and that regulating the expression of KLF4 may be a potential therapeutic strategy for maintaining normal placental angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Huang
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control and National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunyu Yang
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control and National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Animal Science, Guangdong Maoming Agriculture & Forestry Technical College, Maoming, China
| | - Shuo Ma
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control and National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinfeng Li
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control and National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongxuan Ye
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control and National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiling Chen
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control and National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhishan Li
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control and National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinping Deng
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control and National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Chengquan Tan
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control and National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
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13
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Biolcatti CF, Bobbo VC, Solon C, Morari J, Haddad-Tovolli R, Araujo EP, Simoes MR, Velloso LA. Pregnancy Protects against Abnormal Gut Permeability Promoted via the Consumption of a High-Fat Diet in Mice. Nutrients 2023; 15:5041. [PMID: 38140300 PMCID: PMC10746116 DOI: 10.3390/nu15245041] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The consumption of large amounts of dietary fats and pregnancy are independent factors that can promote changes in gut permeability and the gut microbiome landscape. However, there is limited evidence regarding the impact of pregnancy on the regulation of such parameters in females fed a high-fat diet. Here, gut permeability and microbiome landscape were evaluated in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity in pregnancy. The results show that pregnancy protected against the harmful effects of the consumption of a high-fat diet as a disruptor of gut permeability; thus, there was a two-fold reduction in FITC-dextran passage to the bloodstream compared to non-pregnant mice fed a high-fat diet (p < 0.01). This was accompanied by an increased expression of gut barrier-related transcripts, particularly in the ileum. In addition, the beneficial effect of pregnancy on female mice fed the high-fat diet was accompanied by a reduced presence of bacteria belonging to the genus Clostridia, and by increased Lactobacillus murinus in the gut (p < 0.05). Thus, this study advances the understanding of how pregnancy can act during a short window of time, protecting against the harmful effects of the consumption of a high-fat diet by promoting an increased expression of transcripts encoding proteins involved in the regulation of gut permeability, particularly in the ileum, and promoting changes in the gut microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caio F. Biolcatti
- Laboratory of Cell Signaling, Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-864, Brazil; (C.F.B.); (V.C.B.); (C.S.); (J.M.); (R.H.-T.); (E.P.A.); (M.R.S.)
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-894, Brazil
| | - Vanessa C. Bobbo
- Laboratory of Cell Signaling, Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-864, Brazil; (C.F.B.); (V.C.B.); (C.S.); (J.M.); (R.H.-T.); (E.P.A.); (M.R.S.)
- School of Nursing, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-887, Brazil
| | - Carina Solon
- Laboratory of Cell Signaling, Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-864, Brazil; (C.F.B.); (V.C.B.); (C.S.); (J.M.); (R.H.-T.); (E.P.A.); (M.R.S.)
| | - Joseane Morari
- Laboratory of Cell Signaling, Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-864, Brazil; (C.F.B.); (V.C.B.); (C.S.); (J.M.); (R.H.-T.); (E.P.A.); (M.R.S.)
| | - Roberta Haddad-Tovolli
- Laboratory of Cell Signaling, Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-864, Brazil; (C.F.B.); (V.C.B.); (C.S.); (J.M.); (R.H.-T.); (E.P.A.); (M.R.S.)
- Neuronal Control of Metabolism (NeuCoMe) Laboratory, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eliana P. Araujo
- Laboratory of Cell Signaling, Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-864, Brazil; (C.F.B.); (V.C.B.); (C.S.); (J.M.); (R.H.-T.); (E.P.A.); (M.R.S.)
- School of Nursing, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-887, Brazil
| | - Marcela R. Simoes
- Laboratory of Cell Signaling, Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-864, Brazil; (C.F.B.); (V.C.B.); (C.S.); (J.M.); (R.H.-T.); (E.P.A.); (M.R.S.)
| | - Licio A. Velloso
- Laboratory of Cell Signaling, Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-864, Brazil; (C.F.B.); (V.C.B.); (C.S.); (J.M.); (R.H.-T.); (E.P.A.); (M.R.S.)
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-894, Brazil
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14
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Jo S, Alejandro EU. RISING STARS: Mechanistic insights into maternal-fetal cross talk and islet beta-cell development. J Endocrinol 2023; 259:e230069. [PMID: 37855321 PMCID: PMC10692651 DOI: 10.1530/joe-23-0069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
The metabolic health trajectory of an individual is shaped as early as prepregnancy, during pregnancy, and lactation period. Both maternal nutrition and metabolic health status are critical factors in the programming of offspring toward an increased propensity to developing type 2 diabetes in adulthood. Pancreatic beta-cells, part of the endocrine islets, which are nutrient-sensitive tissues important for glucose metabolism, are primed early in life (the first 1000 days in humans) with limited plasticity later in life. This suggests the high importance of the developmental window of programming in utero and early in life. This review will focus on how changes to the maternal milieu increase offspring's susceptibility to diabetes through changes in pancreatic beta-cell mass and function and discuss potential mechanisms by which placental-driven nutrient availability, hormones, exosomes, and immune alterations that may impact beta-cell development in utero, thereby affecting susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seokwon Jo
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Emilyn U Alejandro
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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15
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Easton ZJW, Sarr O, Zhao L, Buzatto AZ, Luo X, Zhao S, Li L, Regnault TRH. An Integrated Multi-OMICS Approach Highlights Elevated Non-Esterified Fatty Acids Impact BeWo Trophoblast Metabolism and Lipid Processing. Metabolites 2023; 13:883. [PMID: 37623828 PMCID: PMC10456680 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13080883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are linked with impaired placental function and early onset of non-communicable cardiometabolic diseases in offspring. Previous studies have highlighted that the dietary non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) palmitate (PA) and oleate (OA), key dietary metabolites associated with maternal obesity and GDM, are potential modulators of placental lipid processing. Using the BeWo cell line model, the current study integrated transcriptomic (mRNA microarray), metabolomic, and lipidomic readouts to characterize the underlying impacts of exogenous PA and OA on placental villous trophoblast cell metabolism. Targeted gas chromatography and thin-layer chromatography highlighted that saturated and monounsaturated NEFAs differentially impact BeWo cell lipid profiles. Furthermore, cellular lipid profiles differed when exposed to single and multiple NEFA species. Additional multi-omic analyses suggested that PA exposure is associated with enrichment in β-oxidation pathways, while OA exposure is associated with enrichment in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant pathways. Overall, this study further demonstrated that dietary PA and OA are important regulators of placental lipid metabolism. Encouraging appropriate dietary advice and implementing dietary interventions to maintain appropriate placental function by limiting excessive exposure to saturated NEFAs remain crucial in managing at-risk obese and GDM pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J. W. Easton
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, Medical Sciences Building Room 216, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (Z.J.W.E.); (O.S.); (L.Z.)
| | - Ousseynou Sarr
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, Medical Sciences Building Room 216, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (Z.J.W.E.); (O.S.); (L.Z.)
| | - Lin Zhao
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, Medical Sciences Building Room 216, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (Z.J.W.E.); (O.S.); (L.Z.)
| | - Adriana Zardini Buzatto
- The Metabolomics Innovation Centre (TMIC), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada; (A.Z.B.); (X.L.); (S.Z.); (L.L.)
| | - Xian Luo
- The Metabolomics Innovation Centre (TMIC), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada; (A.Z.B.); (X.L.); (S.Z.); (L.L.)
| | - Shuang Zhao
- The Metabolomics Innovation Centre (TMIC), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada; (A.Z.B.); (X.L.); (S.Z.); (L.L.)
| | - Liang Li
- The Metabolomics Innovation Centre (TMIC), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada; (A.Z.B.); (X.L.); (S.Z.); (L.L.)
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Timothy R. H. Regnault
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, Medical Sciences Building Room 216, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (Z.J.W.E.); (O.S.); (L.Z.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Western University, B2-401 London Health Science Centre-Victoria Hospital, 800 Commissioners Rd E, London, ON N6H 5W9, Canada
- Children’s Health Research Institute, 800 Commissioners Rd E, London, ON N6C 2V5, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, 750 Base Line Rd E, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
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16
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Zhang H, Zhang X, Wang Y, Zhao X, Zhang L, Li J, Zhang Y, Wang P, Liang H. Dietary Folic Acid Supplementation Attenuates Maternal High-Fat Diet-Induced Fetal Intrauterine Growth Retarded via Ameliorating Placental Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Rats. Nutrients 2023; 15:3263. [PMID: 37513681 PMCID: PMC10385450 DOI: 10.3390/nu15143263] [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: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The placenta is particularly susceptible to inflammation and oxidative stress, leading to placental vascular dysfunction and placental insufficiency, which is associated with fetal intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). It is unknown whether folic acid (FA) supplementation can alleviate high-fat diet-induced IUGR in rats by improving placental function. In this study, pregnant rats were randomized into one of four diet-based groups: (1) control diet (CON), (2) control diet supplemented with FA, (3) high-fat diet (HFD), and (4) high-fat diet supplemented with FA (HFD + FA). Dams were sacrificed at gestation day 18.5 (GD18.5). The results indicated that dietary FA supplementation normalized a maternal HFD-induced decrease in fetal weight. The decrease in placental efficiency, labyrinth zone (LZ) area, blood sinusoid area, vascular density, and the levels of angiogenesis factors induced by a maternal HFD were alleviated by the addition of FA, suggesting that FA supplementation can alleviate placental vascular dysplasia. Furthermore, FA supplementation increased the protein expressions of SIRT1, inhibited NF-κB transcriptional activation, attenuated the levels of NF-κB/downstream pro-inflammatory cytokines, induced Nrf2 activation, and increased downstream target protein expression. In conclusion, we found that dietary FA supplementation during pregnancy could improve maternal HFD-induced IUGR by alleviating placental inflammation and oxidative stress, which may be associated with the regulation of SIRT1 and its mediated NF-κB and Nrf2 signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hui Liang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Qingdao University, 308 Ningxia Road, Qingdao 266071, China; (H.Z.); (X.Z.); (Y.W.); (X.Z.); (L.Z.); (J.L.); (Y.Z.); (P.W.)
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17
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Kanter J, Gordon SM, Mani S, Sokalska A, Park JY, Senapati S, Huh DD, Mainigi M. Hormonal stimulation reduces numbers and impairs function of human uterine natural killer cells during implantation. Hum Reprod 2023; 38:1047-1059. [PMID: 37075311 PMCID: PMC10501469 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dead069] [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: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION How does an altered maternal hormonal environment, such as that seen during superovulation with gonadotropins in ART, impact human uterine immune cell distribution and function during the window of implantation? SUMMARY ANSWER Hormonal stimulation with gonadotropins alters abundance of maternal immune cells including uterine natural killer (uNK) cells and reduces uNK cell ability to promote extravillous trophoblast (EVT) invasion. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY An altered maternal hormonal environment, seen following ART, can lead to increased risk for adverse perinatal outcomes associated with disordered placentation. Maternal immune cells play an essential role in invasion of EVTs, a process required for proper establishment of the placenta, and adverse perinatal outcomes have been associated with altered immune cell populations. How ART impacts maternal immune cells and whether this can in turn affect implantation and placentation in humans remain unknown. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A prospective cohort study was carried out between 2018 and 2021 on 51 subjects: 20 from natural cycles 8 days after LH surge; and 31 from stimulated IVF cycles 7 days after egg retrieval. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Endometrial biopsies and peripheral blood samples were collected during the window of implantation in subjects with regular menstrual cycles or undergoing superovulation. Serum estradiol and progesterone levels were measured by chemiluminescent competitive immunoassay. Immune cell populations in blood and endometrium were analyzed using flow cytometry. uNK cells were purified using fluorescence-activated cell sorting and were subjected to RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Functional changes in uNK cells due to hormonal stimulation were evaluated using the implantation-on-a-chip (IOC) device, a novel bioengineered platform using human primary cells that mimics early processes that occur during pregnancy in a physiologically relevant manner. Unpaired t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and pairwise multiple comparison tests were used to statistically evaluate differences. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Baseline characteristics were comparable for both groups. As expected, serum estradiol levels on the day of biopsy were significantly higher in stimulated (superovulated) patients (P = 0.0005). In the setting of superovulation, we found an endometrium-specific reduction in the density of bulk CD56+ uNK cells (P < 0.05), as well as in the uNK3 subpopulation (P = 0.025) specifically (CD103+ NK cells). In stimulated samples, we also found that the proportion of endometrial B cells was increased (P < 0.0001). Our findings were specific to the endometrium and not seen in peripheral blood. On the IOC device, uNK cells from naturally cycling secretory endometrium promote EVT invasion (P = 0.03). However, uNK cells from hormonally stimulated endometrium were unable to significantly promote EVT invasion, as measured by area of invasion, depth of invasion, and number of invaded EVTs by area. Bulk RNA-seq of sorted uNK cells from stimulated and unstimulated endometrium revealed changes in signaling pathways associated with immune cell trafficking/movement and inflammation. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Patient numbers utilized for the study were low but were enough to identify significant overall population differences in select immune cell types. With additional power and deeper immune phenotyping, we may detect additional differences in immune cell composition of blood and endometrium in the setting of hormonal stimulation. Flow cytometry was performed on targeted immune cell populations that have shown involvement in early pregnancy. A more unbiased approach might identify changes in novel maternal immune cells not investigated in this study. We performed RNA-seq only on uNK cells, which demonstrated differences in gene expression. Ovarian stimulation may also impact gene expression and function of other subsets of immune cells, as well as other cell types within the endometrium. Finally, the IOC device, while a major improvement over existing in vitro methods to study early pregnancy, does not include all possible maternal cells present during early pregnancy, which could impact functional effects seen. Immune cells other than uNK cells may impact invasion of EVTs in vitro and in vivo, though these remain to be tested. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS These findings demonstrate that hormonal stimulation affects the distribution of uNK cells during the implantation window and reduces the proinvasive effects of uNK cells during early pregnancy. Our results provide a potential mechanism by which fresh IVF cycles may increase risk of disorders of placentation, previously linked to adverse perinatal outcomes. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) Research reported in this publication was supported by the University of Pennsylvania University Research Funding (to M.M.), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P50HD068157 to M.M., S.S., and S.M.), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (TL1TR001880 to J.K.), the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute (to S.M.G.), and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (K08AI151265 to S.M.G.). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. All authors declare no conflict of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Kanter
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - S M Gordon
- Division of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - S Mani
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - A Sokalska
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - J Y Park
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - S Senapati
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - D D Huh
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- NSF Science and Technology Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - M Mainigi
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Effects of maternal HF diet and absence of TRPC1 gene on mouse placental growth and fetal intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). J Nutr Biochem 2023; 114:109162. [PMID: 36243380 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2022.109162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Placental tissue intracellular calcium (Ca2+) regulates placental development and growth. Maternal high-fat diet (HFD) results in placental lipid accumulation, increased inflammation, reduced nutrient transport expression, and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Currently, whether maternal HFD differentially affects placental and fetal growth and development under reduced Ca2+ influx is not yet known. We hypothesized that maternal HFD feeding decreases placental growth and development resulting in IUGR and that reduction of Ca2+ influx in the placenta worsens maternal HFD-induced placental dysfunction and IUGR. Three-week-old female B6129SF2/J wild type (WT) and transient receptor potential canonical 1 (TRPC1) protein deficient (KO) mice were fed normal fat (NF, 16 kcal % fat) and high fat (HF, 45 kcal % fat) diets for 12 weeks prior to mating with NF diet fed male mice. Fetuses and placentae were examined at mid- (D12) and late- (D18) gestation. At D12, maternal HFD had no effects on placental or fetal weight changes in WT and TRPC1 KO mice while absence of TRPC1 resulted in decreased placental and fetal weights. At D18, maternal HFD increased placental weights in both TRPC1 KO and WT mice, in part, by moderately increasing placental tissue triacylglyceride (TAG, P=.0632). At D12, mRNA expression of key placental growth factors including IGF1, PLGF, and VEGF were increased in WT compared to TRPC1 KO mice while IGF2 and VEGF mRNA expression were increased at D18. Results presented in our study demonstrated that maternal HFD increased placental weight, in part, due to increased lipid concentration resulting in IUGR and via an additive adverse effect of genotype and maternal HFD. Future studies are needed to determine the signaling mechanism underlying Ca2+ influx reduction-induced placental dysfunction and IUGR.
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Sferruzzi‐Perri AN, Lopez‐Tello J, Salazar‐Petres E. Placental adaptations supporting fetal growth during normal and adverse gestational environments. Exp Physiol 2023; 108:371-397. [PMID: 36484327 PMCID: PMC10103877 DOI: 10.1113/ep090442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
NEW FINDINGS What is the topic of this review? How the placenta, which transports nutrients and oxygen to the fetus, may alter its support of fetal growth developmentally and with adverse gestational conditions. What advances does it highlight? Placental formation and function alter with the needs of the fetus for substrates for growth during normal gestation and when there is enhanced competition for substrates in species with multiple gestations or adverse gestational environments, and this is mediated by imprinted genes, signalling pathways, mitochondria and fetal sexomes. ABSTRACT The placenta is vital for mammalian development and a key determinant of life-long health. It is the interface between the mother and fetus and is responsible for transporting the nutrients and oxygen a fetus needs to develop and grow. Alterations in placental formation and function, therefore, have consequences for fetal growth and birthweight, which in turn determine perinatal survival and risk of non-communicable diseases for the offspring in later postnatal life. However, the placenta is not a static organ. As this review summarizes, research from multiple species has demonstrated that placental formation and function alter developmentally to the needs of the fetus for substrates for growth during normal gestation, as well as when there is greater competition for substrates in polytocous species and monotocous species with multiple gestations. The placenta also adapts in response to the gestational environment, integrating information about the ability of the mother to provide nutrients and oxygen with the needs of the fetus in that prevailing environment. In particular, placental structure (e.g. vascularity, surface area, blood flow, diffusion distance) and transport capacity (e.g. nutrient transporter levels and activity) respond to suboptimal gestational environments, namely malnutrition, obesity, hypoxia and maternal ageing. Mechanisms mediating developmentally and environmentally induced homeostatic responses of the placenta that help support normal fetal growth include imprinted genes, signalling pathways, subcellular constituents and fetal sexomes. Identification of these placental strategies may inform the development of therapies for complicated human pregnancies and advance understanding of the pathways underlying poor fetal outcomes and their consequences for health and disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Nancy Sferruzzi‐Perri
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and NeuroscienceUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Jorge Lopez‐Tello
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and NeuroscienceUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Esteban Salazar‐Petres
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and NeuroscienceUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Facultad de CienciasDepartamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Santo TomásValdiviaChile
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20
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Teo SM, Murrin CM, Mehegan J, Douglas A, Hébert JR, Segurado R, Kelleher CC, Phillips CM. Associations between maternal dietary scores during early pregnancy with placental outcomes. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1060709. [PMID: 36845057 PMCID: PMC9945217 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1060709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and aims Individual macronutrient and micronutrient effects on placental growth have been widely investigated. However, the influence of overall maternal diet is relatively unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine associations between a range of maternal dietary scores during early pregnancy with placental outcomes, and to investigate whether there is evidence of sexual dimorphism. Methods This analysis of the Lifeways Cross-Generational Cohort includes 276 mother-child pairs. A validated 148-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire assessed maternal diet in early pregnancy. Dietary scores reflecting dietary quality [Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)], dietary inflammatory potential [Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) and the energy adjusted DII (E-DII)], dietary antioxidant status [Dietary Antioxidant Quality (DAQ)], and glycemic and insulinemic loads/indices (GL/GI, IL/II) were calculated. Linear regression analyses assessed maternal dietary score relationships with untrimmed placental weight (PW) and birth weight:placental weight (BW:PW) ratio. Results In fully adjusted models, maternal E-DII and GI were positively associated, and HEI-2015 and DAQ were negatively associated with PW (B: 12.31, 95% CI: 0.41, 24.20, p = 0.04, B: 4.13, 95% CI: 0.10, 8.17, p = 0.04, B: -2.70, 95% CI: -5.03, -0.35, p = 0.02 and B: -15.03, 95% CI: -28.08, -1.98, p = 0.02, for E-DII, GI, HEI-2015 and DAQ respectively). Maternal DAQ associations with BW:PW ratio were attenuated. When stratified by sex, maternal GI and pregnancy-specific DAQ were associated with PW in female offspring (B: 5.61, 95% CI: 0.27, 10.96, p = 0.04 and B: -15.31, 95% CI: -30.35, -0.27, p = 0.046). Maternal E-DII and HEI-2015 were associated with PW in males (B: 24.31, 95% CI: 5.66, 42.96, p = 0.01 and B: -3.85, 95% CI: -7.47, -0.35, p = 0.03 respectively). Conclusion The results of this novel investigation suggest that maternal diet may influence placental development. Female fetuses may be more sensitive to increased glucose levels whereas male fetuses may be more susceptible to in-utero stresses that are regulated by inflammatory pathways and overall diet quality. Hence, early pregnancy offers an opportune time for a mother to prioritize dietary changes that focus on reducing inflammatory and glycemic responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shevaun M. Teo
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Celine M. Murrin
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - John Mehegan
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Alexander Douglas
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - James R. Hébert
- Cancer Prevention and Control Program and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Ricardo Segurado
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Cecily C. Kelleher
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Catherine M. Phillips
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland,*Correspondence: Catherine M. Phillips,
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21
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Basak S, Duttaroy AK. Maternal PUFAs, Placental Epigenetics, and Their Relevance to Fetal Growth and Brain Development. Reprod Sci 2023; 30:408-427. [PMID: 35676498 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-022-00989-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially omega-3 (n-3) and n-6 long-chain (LC) PUFAs, are indispensable for the fetus' brain supplied by the placenta. Despite being highly unsaturated, n-3 LCPUFA-docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) plays a protective role as an antioxidant in the brain. Deficiency of DHA during fetal development may cause irreversible damages in neurodevelopment programming. Dietary PUFAs can impact placental structure and functions by regulating early placentation processes, such as angiogenesis. They promote remodeling of uteroplacental architecture to facilitate increased blood flow and surface area for nutrient exchange. The placenta's fatty acid transfer depends on the uteroplacental vascular development, ensuring adequate maternal circulatory fatty acids transport to fulfill the fetus' rapid growth and development requirements. Maternal n-3 PUFA deficiency predominantly leads to placental epigenetic changes than other fetal developing organs. A global shift in DNA methylation possibly transmits epigenetic instability in developing fetuses due to n-3 PUFA deficiency. Thus, an optimal level of maternal omega-3 (n-3) PUFAs may protect the placenta's structural and functional integrity and allow fetal growth by controlling the aberrant placental epigenetic changes. This narrative review summarizes the recent advances and underpins the roles of maternal PUFAs on the structure and functions of the placenta and their relevance to fetal growth and brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Basak
- Molecular Biology Division, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad, India.
| | - Asim K Duttaroy
- Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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22
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Easton ZJW, Luo X, Li L, Regnault TRH. The impact of hyperglycemia upon BeWo trophoblast cell metabolic function: A multi-OMICS and functional metabolic analysis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0283118. [PMID: 36930661 PMCID: PMC10022812 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Pre-existing and gestationally-developed diabetes mellitus have been linked with impairments in placental villous trophoblast cell metabolic function, that are thought to underlie the development of metabolic diseases early in the lives of the exposed offspring. Previous research using placental cell lines and ex vivo trophoblast preparations have highlighted hyperglycemia is an important independent regulator of placental function. However, it is poorly understood if hyperglycemia directly influences aspects of placental metabolic function, including nutrient storage and mitochondrial respiration, that are altered in term diabetic placentae. The current study examined metabolic and mitochondrial function as well as nutrient storage in both undifferentiated cytotrophoblast and differentiated syncytiotrophoblast BeWo cells cultured under hyperglycemia conditions (25 mM glucose) for 72 hours to further characterize the direct impacts of placental hyperglycemic exposure. Hyperglycemic-exposed BeWo trophoblasts displayed increased glycogen and triglyceride nutrient stores, but real-time functional readouts of metabolic enzyme activity and mitochondrial respiratory activity were not altered. However, specific investigation into mitochondrial dynamics highlighted increased expression of markers associated with mitochondrial fission that could indicate high glucose-exposed trophoblasts are transitioning towards mitochondrial dysfunction. To further characterize the impacts of independent hyperglycemia, the current study subsequently utilized a multi-omics approach and evaluated the transcriptomic and metabolomic signatures of BeWo cytotrophoblasts. BeWo cytotrophoblasts exposed to hyperglycemia displayed increased mRNA expression of ACSL1, HSD11B2, RPS6KA5, and LAP3 and reduced mRNA expression of CYP2F1, and HK2, concomitant with increased levels of: lactate, malonate, and riboflavin metabolites. These changes highlighted important underlying alterations to glucose, glutathione, fatty acid, and glucocorticoid metabolism in BeWo trophoblasts exposed to hyperglycemia. Overall, these results demonstrate that hyperglycemia is an important independent regulator of key areas of placental metabolism, nutrient storage, and mitochondrial function, and these data continue to expand our knowledge on mechanisms governing the development of placental dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J W Easton
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xian Luo
- The Metabolomics Innovation Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Liang Li
- The Metabolomics Innovation Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Timothy R H Regnault
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, London Health Science Centre-Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada
- Children's Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
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23
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Smith-Jackson K, Harrison RA. Alternative pathway activation in pregnancy, a measured amount "complements" a successful pregnancy, too much results in adverse events. Immunol Rev 2023; 313:298-319. [PMID: 36377667 PMCID: PMC10100418 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
During pregnancy, the maternal host must adapt in order to enable growth of the fetus. These changes affect all organ systems and are designed both to protect the fetus and to minimize risk to the mother. One of the most prominent adaptations involves the immune system. The semi-allogenic fetoplacental unit has non-self components and must be protected against attack from the host. This requires both attenuation of adaptive immunity and protection from innate immune defense mechanisms. One of the key innate immune players is complement, and it is important that the fetoplacental unit is not identified as non-self and subjected to complement attack. Adaptation of the complement response must, however, be managed in such a way that maternal protection against infection is not compromised. As the complement system also plays a significant facilitating role in many of the stages of a normal pregnancy, it is also important that any necessary adaptation to accommodate the semi-allogenic aspects of the fetoplacental unit does not compromise this. In this review, both the physiological role of the alternative pathway of complement in facilitating a normal pregnancy, and its detrimental participation in pregnancy-specific disorders, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Smith-Jackson
- Complement Therapeutics Research Group, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.,The National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre (NRCTC), Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
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24
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Maternal Obesity and Gut Microbiota Are Associated with Fetal Brain Development. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14214515. [PMID: 36364776 PMCID: PMC9654759 DOI: 10.3390/nu14214515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity in pregnancy induces metabolic syndrome, low-grade inflammation, altered endocrine factors, placental function, and the maternal gut microbiome. All these factors impact fetal growth and development, including brain development. The lipid metabolic transporters of the maternal-fetal-placental unit are dysregulated in obesity. Consequently, the transport of essential long-chain PUFAs for fetal brain development is disturbed. The mother’s gut microbiota is vital in maintaining postnatal energy homeostasis and maternal-fetal immune competence. Obesity during pregnancy changes the gut microbiota, affecting fetal brain development. Obesity in pregnancy can induce placental and intrauterine inflammation and thus influence the neurodevelopmental outcomes of the offspring. Several epidemiological studies observed an association between maternal obesity and adverse neurodevelopment. This review discusses the effects of maternal obesity and gut microbiota on fetal neurodevelopment outcomes. In addition, the possible mechanisms of the impacts of obesity and gut microbiota on fetal brain development are discussed.
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25
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Zhao D, Liu Y, Jia S, He Y, Wei X, Liu D, Ma W, Luo W, Gu H, Yuan Z. Influence of maternal obesity on the multi-omics profiles of the maternal body, gestational tissue, and offspring. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 151:113103. [PMID: 35605294 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological studies show that obesity during pregnancy affects more than half of the pregnancies in the developed countries and is associated with obstetric problems and poor outcomes. Obesity tends to increase the incidence of complications. Furthermore, the resulting offspring are also adversely affected. However, the molecular mechanisms of obesity leading to poor pregnancy outcomes remain unclear. Omics methods are used for genetic diagnosis and marker discovery. The aim of this review was to summarize the maternal and fetal pathophysiological alterations induced by gestational obesity,identified using multi-omics detection techniques, and to generalize the biological functions and potential mechanisms of the differentially expressed molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Congenital Malformation, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China.
| | - Yusi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Congenital Malformation, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China.
| | - Shanshan Jia
- Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Congenital Malformation, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China.
| | - Yiwen He
- Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Congenital Malformation, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China.
| | - Xiaowei Wei
- Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Congenital Malformation, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China.
| | - Dan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Congenital Malformation, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China.
| | - Wei Ma
- Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Congenital Malformation, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China.
| | - Wenting Luo
- Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Congenital Malformation, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China.
| | - Hui Gu
- Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Congenital Malformation, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China.
| | - Zhengwei Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Congenital Malformation, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China.
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Effect of a maternal high fat diet with vegetable substitution on fetal brain transcriptome. J Nutr Biochem 2022; 108:109088. [PMID: 35691591 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2022.109088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Maternal dietary conditions play a major role in fetal growth and brain development. The primary aim of this study was to determine the effects of 5% of energy substitution by vegetables in a maternal dietary fat on placental and fetal weight and on fetal brain gene expression. Two-month-old female C57BL/6 mice were fed 16% (normal-fat, NF), 45% fat (HF), or HF substituted with vegetables (5% energy, HF+VS) diets for 12 weeks. Dams were then bred with NF diet-fed male mice. Placenta and fetal weights were measured at gestational age 19 (D19). RNA was isolated from fetal whole brains and sequenced using Illumina HiSeq. HF+VS diet prevented maternal HF diet-induced decreases in placental weight at D19. Feeding of a maternal HF diet was associated with 79 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), while maternal vegetable substitution was associated with 131 DEGs. The vegetable substitution diet decreased Apold1 (P=0.0319), Spata2l (P=0.0404) and Celsr1 (P<0.03) expression compared to HF diet. Enrichment analysis of HF vs HF +VS DEGs identified that synapse organization, and regulation of embryonic development were significantly represented. KEGG enrichment analysis identified a significant representation of DEGs in the ubiquitin mediated proteolysis pathway in HF vs HF +VS, and chemokine signaling pathway in NF vs HF. These findings suggest that at D19, in a rodent model, a maternal HF diet alters placental and fetal growth, and that vegetable supplementation renders a protective effect against these changes.
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Chae SA, Son JS, Zhao L, Gao Y, Liu X, Marie de Avila J, Zhu MJ, Du M. Exerkine apelin reverses obesity-associated placental dysfunction by accelerating mitochondrial biogenesis in mice. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2022; 322:E467-E479. [PMID: 35403440 PMCID: PMC9126223 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00023.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Maternal exercise (ME) protects against adverse effects of maternal obesity (MO) on fetal development. As a cytokine stimulated by exercise, apelin (APN) is elevated due to ME, but its roles in mediating the effects of ME on placental development remain to be defined. Two studies were conducted. In the first study, 18 female mice were assigned to control (CON), obesogenic diet (OB), or OB with exercise (OB/Ex) groups (n = 6); in the second study, the same number of female mice were assigned to three groups; CON with PBS injection (CD/PBS), OB/PBS, or OB with apelin injection (OB/APN). In the exercise study, daily treadmill exercise during pregnancy significantly elevated the expression of PR domain 16 (PRDM16; P < 0.001), which correlated with enhanced oxidative metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis in the placenta (P < 0.05). More importantly, these changes were partially mirrored in the apelin study. Apelin administration upregulated PRDM16 protein level (P < 0.001), mitochondrial biogenesis (P < 0.05), placental nutrient transporter expression (P < 0.001), and placental vascularization (P < 0.01), which were impaired due to MO (P < 0.05). In summary, MO impairs oxidative phosphorylation in the placenta, which is improved by ME; apelin administration partially mimics the beneficial effects of exercise on improving placental function, which prevents placental dysfunction due to MO.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Maternal exercise prevents metabolic disorders of mothers and offspring induced by high-fat diet. Exercise intervention enhances PRDM16 activation, oxidative metabolism, and vascularization of placenta, which are inhibited due to maternal obesity. Similar to maternal exercise, apelin administration improves placental function of obese dams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Ah Chae
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - Jun Seok Son
- Laboratory of Perinatal Kinesioepigenetics, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Liang Zhao
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - Yao Gao
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - Xiangdong Liu
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - Jeanene Marie de Avila
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - Mei-Jun Zhu
- School of Food Science, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - Min Du
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
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28
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Wang M, Wang Z, Miao Y, Wei H, Peng J, Zhou Y. Diallyl Trisulfide Promotes Placental Angiogenesis by Regulating Lipid Metabolism and Alleviating Inflammatory Responses in Obese Pregnant Mice. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14112230. [PMID: 35684030 PMCID: PMC9182607 DOI: 10.3390/nu14112230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The placental tissue serves as an exchanger between the mother and the fetus during pregnancy in mammals. Proper placental angiogenesis is central to the health of both the mother and the growth and development of the fetus. Maternal obesity is associated with impaired placental function, resulting in restricted placental blood vessel development and fetal developmental disorders. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a ubiquitous second messenger in cells that has many biological effects such as promoting angiogenesis, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation and promoting lipid metabolism. However, in the case of maternal obesity, whether H2S can be used as an important signaling molecule to regulate body metabolism, alleviate placental inflammation levels and promote placental angiogenesis is still unclear. In this study, diallyl trisulfide (DATS), which is a well-known H2S donor, was derived from garlic and used to treat obese pregnant mice induced by a high-fat diet, to determine its effects on lipid metabolism and inflammation, as well as placental morphology and placental angiogenesis. Here, we show that DATS treatment increased litter size and alive litter size. DATS improved the H2S level in the serum and placenta of the mice. In addition, DATS treatment improved insulin resistance and lipid metabolism, reduced the inflammatory response and alleviated placental vascular dysplasia caused by obesity in obese mice. In summary, our research revealed that H2S is an important signaling molecule in vivo, which can regulate placental angiogenesis and improve the reproductive performance in maternal obesity. The addition of H2S donor DATS during pregnancy promoted placental angiogenesis by regulating lipid metabolism and alleviating inflammatory responses in obese pregnant mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Wang
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.W.); (Z.W.); (Y.M.); (H.W.)
| | - Zhaoyu Wang
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.W.); (Z.W.); (Y.M.); (H.W.)
| | - Yueyue Miao
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.W.); (Z.W.); (Y.M.); (H.W.)
| | - Hongkui Wei
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.W.); (Z.W.); (Y.M.); (H.W.)
| | - Jian Peng
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.W.); (Z.W.); (Y.M.); (H.W.)
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
- Correspondence: (J.P.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yuanfei Zhou
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.W.); (Z.W.); (Y.M.); (H.W.)
- Correspondence: (J.P.); (Y.Z.)
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29
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Napso T, Lean SC, Lu M, Mort EJ, Desforges M, Moghimi A, Bartels B, El‐Bacha T, Fowden AL, Camm EJ, Sferruzzi‐Perri AN. Diet-induced maternal obesity impacts feto-placental growth and induces sex-specific alterations in placental morphology, mitochondrial bioenergetics, dynamics, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in mice. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2022; 234:e13795. [PMID: 35114078 PMCID: PMC9286839 DOI: 10.1111/apha.13795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
AIM The current study investigated the impact of maternal obesity on placental phenotype in relation to fetal growth and sex. METHODS Female C57BL6/J mice were fed either a diet high in fat and sugar or a standard chow diet, for 6 weeks prior to, and during, pregnancy. At day 19 of gestation, placental morphology and mitochondrial respiration and dynamics were assessed using high-resolution respirometry, stereology, and molecular analyses. RESULTS Diet-induced maternal obesity increased the rate of small for gestational age fetuses in both sexes, and increased blood glucose concentrations in offspring. Placental weight, surface area, and maternal blood spaces were decreased in both sexes, with reductions in placental trophoblast volume, oxygen diffusing capacity, and an increased barrier to transfer in males only. Despite these morphological changes, placental mitochondrial respiration was unaffected by maternal obesity, although the influence of fetal sex on placental respiratory capacity varied between dietary groups. Moreover, in males, but not females, maternal obesity increased mitochondrial complexes (II and ATP synthase) and fission protein DRP1 abundance. It also reduced phosphorylated AMPK and capacity for lipid synthesis, while increasing indices of oxidative stress, specifically in males. In females only, placental mitochondrial biogenesis and capacity for lipid synthesis, were both enhanced. The abundance of uncoupling protein-2 was decreased by maternal obesity in both fetal sexes. CONCLUSION Maternal obesity exerts sex-dependent changes in placental phenotype in association with alterations in fetal growth and substrate supply. These findings may inform the design of personalized lifestyle interventions or therapies for obese pregnant women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Napso
- Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience Centre for Trophoblast Research University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Samantha C. Lean
- Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience Centre for Trophoblast Research University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Minhui Lu
- Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience Centre for Trophoblast Research University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Emily J. Mort
- Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience Centre for Trophoblast Research University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Michelle Desforges
- Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine Maternal & Fetal Health Research Centre University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - Ali Moghimi
- The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Westmead New South Wales Australia
- Department of Paediatrics Monash University Monash Victoria Australia
| | - Beverly Bartels
- Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience Centre for Trophoblast Research University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Tatiana El‐Bacha
- Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience Centre for Trophoblast Research University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Abigail L. Fowden
- Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience Centre for Trophoblast Research University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Emily J. Camm
- Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience Centre for Trophoblast Research University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Amanda N. Sferruzzi‐Perri
- Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience Centre for Trophoblast Research University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
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30
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Bordt EA, Shook LL, Atyeo C, Pullen KM, De Guzman RM, Meinsohn MC, Chauvin M, Fischinger S, Yockey LJ, James K, Lima R, Yonker LM, Fasano A, Brigida S, Bebell LM, Roberts DJ, Pépin D, Huh JR, Bilbo SD, Li JZ, Kaimal A, Schust DJ, Gray KJ, Lauffenburger D, Alter G, Edlow AG. Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection elicits sexually dimorphic placental immune responses. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:eabi7428. [PMID: 34664987 PMCID: PMC8784281 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abi7428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
There is a persistent bias toward higher prevalence and increased severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in males. Underlying mechanisms accounting for this sex difference remain incompletely understood. Interferon responses have been implicated as a modulator of COVID-19 disease in adults and play a key role in the placental antiviral response. Moreover, the interferon response has been shown to alter Fc receptor expression and therefore may affect placental antibody transfer. Here, we examined the intersection of maternal-fetal antibody transfer, viral-induced placental interferon responses, and fetal sex in pregnant women infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Placental Fc receptor abundance, interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression, and SARS-CoV-2 antibody transfer were interrogated in 68 human pregnancies. Sexually dimorphic expression of placental Fc receptors, ISGs and proteins, and interleukin-10 was observed after maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, with up-regulation of these features in placental tissue of pregnant individuals with male fetuses. Reduced maternal SARS-CoV-2–specific antibody titers and impaired placental antibody transfer were also observed in pregnancies with a male fetus. These results demonstrate fetal sex-specific maternal and placental adaptive and innate immune responses to SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan A. Bordt
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Lydia L. Shook
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Caroline Atyeo
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- PhD Program in Virology, Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Krista M. Pullen
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Rose M. De Guzman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Marie-Charlotte Meinsohn
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Maeva Chauvin
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | | | - Laura J. Yockey
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Kaitlyn James
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Rosiane Lima
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Lael M. Yonker
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Alessio Fasano
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
- European Biomedical Research Institute of Salerno (EBRIS), Salerno, Italy
| | - Sara Brigida
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Lisa M. Bebell
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Drucilla J. Roberts
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - David Pépin
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jun R. Huh
- Department of Immunology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Evergrande Center for Immunologic Diseases, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Staci D. Bilbo
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Jonathan Z. Li
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Anjali Kaimal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Danny J. Schust
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women’s Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
| | - Kathryn J. Gray
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Douglas Lauffenburger
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Galit Alter
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Andrea G. Edlow
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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31
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Kanter JR, Mani S, Gordon SM, Mainigi M. Uterine natural killer cell biology and role in early pregnancy establishment and outcomes. F&S REVIEWS 2021; 2:265-286. [PMID: 35756138 PMCID: PMC9232176 DOI: 10.1016/j.xfnr.2021.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Objective While immune cells were originally thought to only play a role in maternal tolerance of the semiallogenic fetus, an active role in pregnancy establishment is becoming increasingly apparent. Uterine natural killer (uNK) cells are of specific interest because of their cyclic increase in number during the window of implantation. As a distinct entity from their peripheral blood counterparts, understanding the biology and function of uNK cells will provide the framework for understanding their role in early pregnancy establishment and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Evidence Review This review discusses unique uNK cell characteristics and presents clinical implications resulting from their dysfunction. We also systematically present existing knowledge about uNK cell function in three processes critical for successful human embryo implantation and placentation: stromal cell decidualization, spiral artery remodeling, and extravillous trophoblast invasion. Finally, we review the features of uNK cells that could help guide future investigations. Results It is clear the uNK cells are intimately involved in multiple facets of early pregnancy. This is accomplished directly, through the secretion of factors that regulate stromal cells and trophoblast function; and indirectly, via interaction with other maternal cell types present at the maternal-fetal interface. Current work also suggests that uNK cells are a heterogenous population, with subsets that potentially accomplish different functions. Conclusion Establishment of pregnancy through successful embryo implantation and placentation requires crosstalk between multiple maternal cell types and invading fetal trophoblast cells. Defects in this process have been associated with multiple adverse perinatal outcomes including hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, placenta accreta, and recurrent miscarriage though the mechanism underlying development of these defects remain unclear. Abnormalities in NK cell number and function which would disrupt physiological maternal-fetal crosstalk, could play a critical role in abnormal implantation and placentation. It is therefore imperative to dissect the unique physiological role of uNK cells in pregnancy and use this knowledge to inform clinical practice by determining how uNK cell dysfunction could lead to reproductive failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R. Kanter
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Sneha Mani
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Scott M. Gordon
- Division of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Monica Mainigi
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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32
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Dang Y, Souchet C, Moresi F, Jeljeli M, Raquillet B, Nicco C, Chouzenoux S, Lagoutte I, Marcellin L, Batteux F, Doridot L. BCG-trained innate immunity leads to fetal growth restriction by altering immune cell profile in the mouse developing placenta. J Leukoc Biol 2021; 111:1009-1020. [PMID: 34533228 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.4a0720-458rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Trained immunity is a new concept illustrating that innate immune cells are able to undergo a long-term metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming after infection or vaccination, thus displaying either a pro- or an anti-inflammatory phenotype during a sequential unrelated challenge. Innate immune cells such as natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages constitute a large part of the decidual leukocyte population at the maternal-fetal interface, playing an important role in placental development and as such in fetal growth and development. In this study, we hypothesized that training the innate immune cells before pregnancy could have an impact on pregnancy. To test this hypothesis, we used CBA/J x DBA/2 mouse model to investigate pregnancy outcomes and leukocyte population at the maternal-fetal interface. Although we were not able to show a beneficial effect of LPS-tolerogenic training on fetal resorption, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) training, known to prime innate immune cells to be proinflammatory, led to fetal growth restriction, without aggravating the fetal resorption rate. We also found that BCG training led to less NK cells and macrophages at the maternal-fetal interface at the early stage of placentation (E9.5), associated with a down-regulation of Ccr3 and Lif mRNA expression. This induced altered leucocyte population profile can be an explanation for the subsequent fetal growth restriction. These data suggest that preconceptional infections-induced trained immunity could influence pregnancy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yipu Dang
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014 PARIS, France, Paris, France
| | - Camille Souchet
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014 PARIS, France, Paris, France
| | - Fabiana Moresi
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014 PARIS, France, Paris, France
| | - Mohamed Jeljeli
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014 PARIS, France, Paris, France.,Service d'immunologie Biologique, AP-HP, Hôpital Universitaire Paris Centre, F-75014 Paris, France, Paris, France
| | - Bruno Raquillet
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014 PARIS, France, Paris, France
| | - Carole Nicco
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014 PARIS, France, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Chouzenoux
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014 PARIS, France, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Lagoutte
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014 PARIS, France, Paris, France
| | - Louis Marcellin
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014 PARIS, France, Paris, France.,Département de Gynécologie Obstétrique II et Médecine de la Reproduction, AP-HP, Hôpital Universitaire Paris Centre, F-75014 Paris, France, Paris, France
| | - Frederic Batteux
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014 PARIS, France, Paris, France.,Service d'immunologie Biologique, AP-HP, Hôpital Universitaire Paris Centre, F-75014 Paris, France, Paris, France
| | - Ludivine Doridot
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014 PARIS, France, Paris, France
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33
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Fowden AL, Camm EJ, Sferruzzi-Perri AN. Effects of Maternal Obesity On Placental Phenotype. Curr Vasc Pharmacol 2021; 19:113-131. [PMID: 32400334 DOI: 10.2174/1570161118666200513115316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The incidence of obesity is rising rapidly worldwide with the consequence that more women are entering pregnancy overweight or obese. This leads to an increased incidence of clinical complications during pregnancy and of poor obstetric outcomes. The offspring of obese pregnancies are often macrosomic at birth although there is also a subset of the progeny that are growth-restricted at term. Maternal obesity during pregnancy is also associated with cardiovascular, metabolic and endocrine dysfunction in the offspring later in life. As the interface between the mother and fetus, the placenta has a central role in programming intrauterine development and is known to adapt its phenotype in response to environmental conditions such as maternal undernutrition and hypoxia. However, less is known about placental function in the abnormal metabolic and endocrine environment associated with maternal obesity during pregnancy. This review discusses the placental consequences of maternal obesity induced either naturally or experimentally by increasing maternal nutritional intake and/or changing the dietary composition. It takes a comparative, multi-species approach and focusses on placental size, morphology, nutrient transport, metabolism and endocrine function during the later stages of obese pregnancy. It also examines the interventions that have been made during pregnancy in an attempt to alleviate the more adverse impacts of maternal obesity on placental phenotype. The review highlights the potential role of adaptations in placental phenotype as a contributory factor to the pregnancy complications and changes in fetal growth and development that are associated with maternal obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- A L Fowden
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
| | - E J Camm
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
| | - A N Sferruzzi-Perri
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
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34
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Bedell S, Hutson J, de Vrijer B, Eastabrook G. Effects of Maternal Obesity and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus on the Placenta: Current Knowledge and Targets for Therapeutic Interventions. Curr Vasc Pharmacol 2021; 19:176-192. [PMID: 32543363 DOI: 10.2174/1570161118666200616144512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are becoming more common among pregnant women worldwide and are individually associated with a number of placenta-mediated obstetric complications, including preeclampsia, macrosomia, intrauterine growth restriction and stillbirth. The placenta serves several functions throughout pregnancy and is the main exchange site for the transfer of nutrients and gas from mother to fetus. In pregnancies complicated by maternal obesity or GDM, the placenta is exposed to environmental changes, such as increased inflammation and oxidative stress, dyslipidemia, and altered hormone levels. These changes can affect placental development and function and lead to abnormal fetal growth and development as well as metabolic and cardiovascular abnormalities in the offspring. This review aims to summarize current knowledge on the effects of obesity and GDM on placental development and function. Understanding these processes is key in developing therapeutic interventions with the goal of mitigating these effects and preventing future cardiovascular and metabolic pathology in subsequent generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Bedell
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, ON N6A 3B4, Canada
| | - Janine Hutson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, ON N6A 3B4, Canada
| | - Barbra de Vrijer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, ON N6A 3B4, Canada
| | - Genevieve Eastabrook
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, ON N6A 3B4, Canada
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35
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Bordt EA, Shook LL, Atyeo C, Pullen KM, De Guzman RM, Meinsohn MC, Chauvin M, Fischinger S, Yockey LJ, James K, Lima R, Yonker LM, Fasano A, Brigida S, Bebell LM, Roberts DJ, Pépin D, Huh JR, Bilbo SD, Li JZ, Kaimal A, Schust D, Gray KJ, Lauffenburger D, Alter G, Edlow AG. Sexually dimorphic placental responses to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021:2021.03.29.437516. [PMID: 33821279 PMCID: PMC8020979 DOI: 10.1101/2021.03.29.437516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
There is a persistent male bias in the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 disease. Underlying mechanisms accounting for this sex difference remain incompletely understood. Interferon responses have been implicated as a modulator of disease in adults, and play a key role in the placental anti-viral response. Moreover, the interferon response has been shown to alter Fc-receptor expression, and therefore may impact placental antibody transfer. Here we examined the intersection of viral-induced placental interferon responses, maternal-fetal antibody transfer, and fetal sex. Placental interferon stimulated genes (ISGs), Fc-receptor expression, and SARS-CoV-2 antibody transfer were interrogated in 68 pregnancies. Sexually dimorphic placental expression of ISGs, interleukin-10, and Fc receptors was observed following maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, with upregulation in males. Reduced maternal SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody titers and impaired placental antibody transfer were noted in pregnancies with a male fetus. These results demonstrate fetal sex-specific maternal and placental adaptive and innate immune responses to SARS-CoV-2.
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36
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Cao C, Prado MA, Sun L, Rockowitz S, Sliz P, Paulo JA, Finley D, Fleming MD. Maternal Iron Deficiency Modulates Placental Transcriptome and Proteome in Mid-Gestation of Mouse Pregnancy. J Nutr 2021; 151:1073-1083. [PMID: 33693820 PMCID: PMC8112763 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxab005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal iron deficiency (ID) is associated with poor pregnancy and fetal outcomes. The effect is thought to be mediated by the placenta but there is no comprehensive assessment of placental responses to maternal ID. Additionally, whether the influence of maternal ID on the placenta differs by fetal sex is unknown. OBJECTIVES To identify gene and protein signatures of ID mouse placentas at mid-gestation. A secondary objective was to profile the expression of iron genes in mouse placentas across gestation. METHODS We used a real-time PCR-based array to determine the mRNA expression of all known iron genes in mouse placentas at embryonic day (E) 12.5, E14.5, E16.5, and E19.5 (n = 3 placentas/time point). To determine the effect of maternal ID, we performed RNA sequencing and proteomics in male and female placentas from ID and iron-adequate mice at E12.5 (n = 8 dams/diet). RESULTS In female placentas, 6 genes, including transferrin receptor (Tfrc) and solute carrier family 11 member 2, were significantly changed by maternal ID. An additional 154 genes were altered in male ID placentas. A proteomic analysis quantified 7662 proteins in the placenta. Proteins translated from iron-responsive element (IRE)-containing mRNA were altered in abundance; ferritin and ferroportin 1 decreased, while TFRC increased in ID placentas. Less than 4% of the significantly altered genes in ID placentas occurred both at the transcriptional and translational levels. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate that the impact of maternal ID on placental gene expression in mice is limited in scope and magnitude at mid-gestation. We provide strong evidence for IRE-based transcriptional and translational coordination of iron gene expression in the mouse placenta. Finally, we discover sexually dimorphic effects of maternal ID on placental gene expression, with more genes and pathways altered in male compared with female mouse placentas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Cao
- Address correspondence to CC (e-mail: )
| | - Miguel A Prado
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Liang Sun
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shira Rockowitz
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Piotr Sliz
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,Division of Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joao A Paulo
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Finley
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark D Fleming
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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37
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Parisi F, Milazzo R, Savasi VM, Cetin I. Maternal Low-Grade Chronic Inflammation and Intrauterine Programming of Health and Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22041732. [PMID: 33572203 PMCID: PMC7914818 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Overweight and obesity during pregnancy have been associated with increased birth weight, childhood obesity, and noncommunicable diseases in the offspring, leading to a vicious transgenerational perpetuating of metabolic derangements. Key components in intrauterine developmental programming still remain to be identified. Obesity involves chronic low-grade systemic inflammation that, in addition to physiological adaptations to pregnancy, may potentially expand to the placental interface and lead to intrauterine derangements with a threshold effect. Animal models, where maternal inflammation is mimicked by single injections with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) resembling the obesity-induced immune profile, showed increased adiposity and impaired metabolic homeostasis in the offspring, similar to the phenotype observed after exposure to maternal obesity. Cytokine levels might be specifically important for the metabolic imprinting, as cytokines are transferable from maternal to fetal circulation and have the capability to modulate placental nutrient transfer. Maternal inflammation may induce metabolic reprogramming at several levels, starting from the periconceptional period with effects on the oocyte going through early stages of embryonic and placental development. Given the potential to reduce inflammation through inexpensive, widely available therapies, examinations of the impact of chronic inflammation on reproductive and pregnancy outcomes, as well as preventive interventions, are now needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Parisi
- Department of Woman, Mother and Neonate, ‘V. Buzzi’ Children Hospital, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, 20141 Milan, Italy; (R.M.); (I.C.)
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, “Luigi Sacco”, University of Milan, 20157 Milan, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Roberta Milazzo
- Department of Woman, Mother and Neonate, ‘V. Buzzi’ Children Hospital, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, 20141 Milan, Italy; (R.M.); (I.C.)
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, “Luigi Sacco”, University of Milan, 20157 Milan, Italy;
| | - Valeria M. Savasi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, “Luigi Sacco”, University of Milan, 20157 Milan, Italy;
- Department of Woman, Mother and Neonate, ‘L. Sacco’ Hospital, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Irene Cetin
- Department of Woman, Mother and Neonate, ‘V. Buzzi’ Children Hospital, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, 20141 Milan, Italy; (R.M.); (I.C.)
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, “Luigi Sacco”, University of Milan, 20157 Milan, Italy;
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Bowman CE, Arany Z, Wolfgang MJ. Regulation of maternal-fetal metabolic communication. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 78:1455-1486. [PMID: 33084944 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03674-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Pregnancy may be the most nutritionally sensitive stage in the life cycle, and improved metabolic health during gestation and early postnatal life can reduce the risk of chronic disease in adulthood. Successful pregnancy requires coordinated metabolic, hormonal, and immunological communication. In this review, maternal-fetal metabolic communication is defined as the bidirectional communication of nutritional status and metabolic demand by various modes including circulating metabolites, endocrine molecules, and other secreted factors. Emphasis is placed on metabolites as a means of maternal-fetal communication by synthesizing findings from studies in humans, non-human primates, domestic animals, rabbits, and rodents. In this review, fetal, placental, and maternal metabolic adaptations are discussed in turn. (1) Fetal macronutrient needs are summarized in terms of the physiological adaptations in place to ensure their proper allocation. (2) Placental metabolite transport and maternal physiological adaptations during gestation, including changes in energy budget, are also discussed. (3) Maternal nutrient limitation and metabolic disorders of pregnancy serve as case studies of the dynamic nature of maternal-fetal metabolic communication. The review concludes with a summary of recent research efforts to identify metabolites, endocrine molecules, and other secreted factors that mediate this communication, with particular emphasis on serum/plasma metabolomics in humans, non-human primates, and rodents. A better understanding of maternal-fetal metabolic communication in health and disease may reveal novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for metabolic disorders of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlyn E Bowman
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zoltan Arany
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael J Wolfgang
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Płatek T, Polus A, Góralska J, Raźny U, Gruca A, Kieć-Wilk B, Zabielski P, Kapusta M, Słowińska-Solnica K, Solnica B, Malczewska-Malec M, Dembińska-Kieć A. DNA methylation microarrays identify epigenetically regulated lipid related genes in obese patients with hypercholesterolemia. Mol Med 2020; 26:93. [PMID: 33028190 PMCID: PMC7539457 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-020-00220-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetics can contribute to lipid disorders in obesity. The DNA methylation pattern can be the cause or consequence of high blood lipids. The aim of the study was to investigate the DNA methylation profile in peripheral leukocytes associated with elevated LDL-cholesterol level in overweight and obese individuals. METHODS To identify the differentially methylated genes, genome-wide DNA methylation microarray analysis was performed in leukocytes of obese individuals with high LDL-cholesterol (LDL-CH, ≥ 3.4 mmol/L) versus control obese individuals with LDL-CH, < 3.4 mmol/L. Biochemical tests such as serum glucose, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, leptin, adiponectin, FGF19, FGF21, GIP and total plasma fatty acids content have been determined. Oral glucose and lipid tolerance tests were also performed. Human DNA Methylation Microarray (from Agilent Technologies) containing 27,627 probes for CpG islands was used for screening of DNA methylation status in 10 selected samples. Unpaired t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used for biochemical and anthropometric parameters statistics. For microarrays analysis, fold of change was calculated comparing hypercholesterolemic vs control group. The q-value threshold was calculated using moderated Student's t-test followed by Benjamini-Hochberg multiple test correction FDR. RESULTS In this preliminary study we identified 190 lipid related CpG loci differentially methylated in hypercholesterolemic versus control individuals. Analysis of DNA methylation profiles revealed several loci engaged in plasma lipoprotein formation and metabolism, cholesterol efflux and reverse transport, triglycerides degradation and fatty acids transport and β-oxidation. Hypermethylation of CpG loci located in promoters of genes regulating cholesterol metabolism: PCSK9, LRP1, ABCG1, ANGPTL4, SREBF1 and NR1H2 in hypercholesterolemic patients has been found. Novel epigenetically regulated CpG sites include ABCG4, ANGPTL4, AP2A2, AP2M1, AP2S1, CLTC, FGF19, FGF1R, HDLBP, LIPA, LMF1, LRP5, LSR, NR1H2 and ZDHHC8 genes. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that obese individuals with hypercholesterolemia present specific DNA methylation profile in genes related to lipids transport and metabolism. Detailed knowledge of epigenetic regulation of genes, important for lipid disorders in obesity, underlies the possibility to influence target genes by changing diet and lifestyle, as DNA methylation is reversible and depends on environmental factors. These findings give rise for further studies on factors that targets methylation of revealed genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Płatek
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 15a, 31-501, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Anna Polus
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 15a, 31-501, Kraków, Poland
| | - Joanna Góralska
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 15a, 31-501, Kraków, Poland
| | - Urszula Raźny
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 15a, 31-501, Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Gruca
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 15a, 31-501, Kraków, Poland
| | - Beata Kieć-Wilk
- Department of Metabolic Diseases, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 15a, 31-501, Kraków, Poland
- Department of Metabolic Diseases, University Hospital in Krakow, Jakubowskiego 2, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Zabielski
- Department of Physiology, Medical University of Bialystok, Mickiewicza 2C, 15-222, Białystok, Poland
| | - Maria Kapusta
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 15a, 31-501, Kraków, Poland
| | - Krystyna Słowińska-Solnica
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 15a, 31-501, Kraków, Poland
| | - Bogdan Solnica
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 15a, 31-501, Kraków, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Malczewska-Malec
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 15a, 31-501, Kraków, Poland
| | - Aldona Dembińska-Kieć
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 15a, 31-501, Kraków, Poland
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Virginkar N, Christians JK. Maternal Obesity Does Not Exacerbate the Effects of LPS Injection on Pregnancy Outcomes in Mice. BIOLOGY 2020; 9:biology9090293. [PMID: 32947926 PMCID: PMC7563678 DOI: 10.3390/biology9090293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Obesity increases the risk of a number of pregnancy complications, potentially due to chronic inflammation. We predicted that an obesogenic high-fat diet (HFD) in mice would create an inflammatory environment that would exacerbate the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an inflammatory insult, administered during pregnancy. Females were placed on a HFD or a low-fat diet (LFD) prior to mating, injected with 2 µg LPS or control on gestational day 7 and collected on day 14. Treatment with LPS increased the odds that a female thought to be pregnant at injection had no conceptuses at day 14 (p = 0.024), suggesting that injection with LPS was more likely to induce complete abortion. However, there was no effect of diet on the odds of having no conceptuses at day 14 and no interaction between diet and LPS injection. Diet and LPS injection had no effect on the number of viable fetuses in females still pregnant at day 14. For fetal weight, there was a significant interaction between diet and treatment (p = 0.017), whereby LPS reduced fetal weight in HFD females but not in LFD females. However, LPS treatment of HFD females reduced fetal weight to that observed in control-injected LFD females. Although LPS increased the odds of abortion, there was little evidence that a HFD exacerbated the effects of LPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Virginkar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada;
| | - Julian K. Christians
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada;
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
- British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, 938 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
- Women’s Health Research Institute, 4500 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1, Canada
- Correspondence:
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Shrestha N, Holland OJ, Kent NL, Perkins AV, McAinch AJ, Cuffe JSM, Hryciw DH. Maternal High Linoleic Acid Alters Placental Fatty Acid Composition. Nutrients 2020; 12:nu12082183. [PMID: 32717842 PMCID: PMC7468786 DOI: 10.3390/nu12082183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal development is modulated by maternal nutrition during pregnancy. The dietary intake of linoleic acid (LA), an essential dietary n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), has increased. We previously published that increased LA consumption during pregnancy does not alter offspring or placental weight but fetal plasma fatty acid composition; the developing fetus obtains their required PUFA from the maternal circulation. However, it is unknown if increased maternal linoleic acid alters placental fatty acid storage, metabolism, transport, and general placental function. Female Wistar-Kyoto rats were fed either a low LA diet (LLA; 1.44% of energy from LA) or high LA diet (HLA; 6.21% of energy from LA) for 10 weeks before pregnancy and during gestation. Rats were sacrificed at embryonic day 20 (E20, term = 22 days) and placentae collected. The labyrinth of placentae from one male and one female fetus from each litter were analyzed. High maternal LA consumption increased placental total n-6 and LA concentrations, and decreased total n-3 PUFA, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Fatty acid desaturase 1 (Fads1), angiopoietin-like 4 (Angptl4), and diacylglycerol lipase beta (Daglb) mRNA were downregulated in placentae from offspring from HLA dams. Maternal high LA downregulated the fatty acid transport protein 4 (Fatp4) and glucose transporter 1 (Slc2a1) mRNA in placentae. IL-7 and IL-10 protein were decreased in placentae from offspring from HLA dams. In conclusion, a high maternal LA diet alters the placental fatty acid composition, inflammatory proteins, and expressions of nutrient transporters, which may program deleterious outcomes in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirajan Shrestha
- School of Medical Science, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia; (N.S.); (O.J.H.); (A.V.P.)
| | - Olivia J. Holland
- School of Medical Science, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia; (N.S.); (O.J.H.); (A.V.P.)
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Nykola L. Kent
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia;
| | - Anthony V. Perkins
- School of Medical Science, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia; (N.S.); (O.J.H.); (A.V.P.)
| | - Andrew J. McAinch
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia;
- Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), Victoria University, St. Albans, VIC 3021, Australia
| | - James S. M. Cuffe
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia;
- Correspondence: (J.S.M.C.); (D.H.H.); Tel.: +61-737-353-601 (D.H.H.)
| | - Deanne H. Hryciw
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia;
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
- Correspondence: (J.S.M.C.); (D.H.H.); Tel.: +61-737-353-601 (D.H.H.)
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St-Germain LE, Castellana B, Baltayeva J, Beristain AG. Maternal Obesity and the Uterine Immune Cell Landscape: The Shaping Role of Inflammation. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E3776. [PMID: 32471078 PMCID: PMC7312391 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21113776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammation is often equated to the physiological response to injury or infection. Inflammatory responses defined by cytokine storms control cellular mechanisms that can either resolve quickly (i.e., acute inflammation) or remain prolonged and unabated (i.e., chronic inflammation). Perhaps less well-appreciated is the importance of inflammatory processes central to healthy pregnancy, including implantation, early stages of placentation, and parturition. Pregnancy juxtaposed with disease can lead to the perpetuation of aberrant inflammation that likely contributes to or potentiates maternal morbidity and poor fetal outcome. Maternal obesity, a prevalent condition within women of reproductive age, associates with increased risk of developing multiple pregnancy disorders. Importantly, chronic low-grade inflammation is thought to underlie the development of obesity-related obstetric and perinatal complications. While diverse subsets of uterine immune cells play central roles in initiating and maintaining healthy pregnancy, uterine leukocyte dysfunction as a result of maternal obesity may underpin the development of pregnancy disorders. In this review we discuss the current knowledge related to the impact of maternal obesity and obesity-associated inflammation on uterine immune cell function, utero-placental establishment, and pregnancy health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E. St-Germain
- The British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; (L.E.S.-G.); (B.C.); (J.B.)
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K8, Canada
| | - Barbara Castellana
- The British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; (L.E.S.-G.); (B.C.); (J.B.)
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K8, Canada
| | - Jennet Baltayeva
- The British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; (L.E.S.-G.); (B.C.); (J.B.)
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K8, Canada
| | - Alexander G. Beristain
- The British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; (L.E.S.-G.); (B.C.); (J.B.)
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K8, Canada
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de Barros Mucci D, Kusinski LC, Wilsmore P, Loche E, Pantaleão LC, Ashmore TJ, Blackmore HL, Fernandez-Twinn DS, Carmo MDGTD, Ozanne SE. Impact of maternal obesity on placental transcriptome and morphology associated with fetal growth restriction in mice. Int J Obes (Lond) 2020; 44:1087-1096. [PMID: 32203108 PMCID: PMC7188669 DOI: 10.1038/s41366-020-0561-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In utero exposure to obesity is consistently associated with increased risk of metabolic disease, obesity and cardiovascular dysfunction in later life despite the divergence of birth weight outcomes. The placenta plays a critical role in offspring development and long-term health, as it mediates the crosstalk between the maternal and fetal environments. However, its phenotypic and molecular modifications in the context of maternal obesity associated with fetal growth restriction (FGR) remain poorly understood. METHODS Using a mouse model of maternal diet-induced obesity, we investigated changes in the placental transcriptome through RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) at embryonic day (E) 19. The most differentially expressed genes (FDR < 0.05) were validated by Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) in male and female placentae at E19. The expression of these targets and related genes was also determined by qPCR at E13 to examine whether the observed alterations had an earlier onset at mid-gestation. Structural analyses were performed using immunofluorescent staining against Ki67 and CD31 to investigate phenotypic outcomes at both timepoints. RESULTS RNA-seq and IPA analyses revealed differential expression of transcripts and pathway interactions related to placental vascular development and tissue morphology in obese placentae at term, including downregulation of Muc15, Cnn1, and Acta2. Pdgfb, which is implicated in labyrinthine layer development, was downregulated in obese placentae at E13. This was consistent with the morphological evidence of reduced labyrinth zone (LZ) size, as well as lower fetal weight at both timepoints irrespective of offspring sex. CONCLUSIONS Maternal obesity results in abnormal placental LZ development and impaired vascularization, which may mediate the observed FGR through reduced transfer of nutrients across the placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela de Barros Mucci
- Metabolic Research Laboratories and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. .,Nutritional Biochemistry Laboratory, Institute of Nutrition Josué de Castro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. .,Nutritional Epidemiology Observatory, Institute of Nutrition Josué de Castro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Laura C Kusinski
- Metabolic Research Laboratories and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Phoebe Wilsmore
- Metabolic Research Laboratories and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Elena Loche
- Metabolic Research Laboratories and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lucas C Pantaleão
- Metabolic Research Laboratories and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Thomas J Ashmore
- Metabolic Research Laboratories and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Heather L Blackmore
- Metabolic Research Laboratories and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Denise S Fernandez-Twinn
- Metabolic Research Laboratories and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Maria das Graças T do Carmo
- Nutritional Biochemistry Laboratory, Institute of Nutrition Josué de Castro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Susan E Ozanne
- Metabolic Research Laboratories and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Metabolic Profiling in Blastocoel Fluid and Blood Plasma of Diabetic Rabbits. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21030919. [PMID: 32019238 PMCID: PMC7037143 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic disorders of the mother adversely affect early embryo development, causing changes in maternal metabolism and consequent alterations in the embryo environment in the uterus. The goal of this study was to analyse the biochemical profiles of embryonic fluids and blood plasma of rabbits with and without insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DT1), to identify metabolic changes associated with maternal diabetes mellitus in early pregnancy. Insulin-dependent diabetes was induced by alloxan treatment in female rabbits 10 days before mating. On day 6 post-coitum, plasma and blastocoel fluid (BF) were analysed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy (UPLC-MS/MS) (Metabolon Inc. Durham, NC, USA). Metabolic datasets comprised a total of 284 and 597 compounds of known identity in BF and plasma, respectively. Diabetes mellitus had profound effects on maternal and embryonic metabolic profiles, with almost half of the metabolites changed. As predicted, we observed an increase in glucose and a decrease in 1,5-anhydroglucitol in diabetic plasma samples. In plasma, fructose, mannose, and sorbitol were elevated in the diabetic group, which may be a way of dealing with excess glucose. In BF, metabolites of the pentose metabolism were especially increased, indicating the need for ribose-based compounds relevant to DNA and RNA metabolism at this very early stage of embryo development. Other changes were more consistent between BF and plasma. Both displayed elevated acylcarnitines, body3-hydroxybutyrate, and multiple compounds within the branched chain amino acid metabolism pathway, suggesting that lipid beta-oxidation is occurring at elevated levels in the diabetic group. This study demonstrates that maternal and embryonic metabolism are closely related. Maternal diabetes mellitus profoundly alters the metabolic profile of the preimplantation embryo with changes in all subclasses of metabolites.
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Maternal Overweight Downregulates MME (Neprilysin) in Feto-Placental Endothelial Cells and in Cord Blood. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21030834. [PMID: 32012940 PMCID: PMC7037888 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal overweight in pregnancy alters the metabolic environment and generates chronic low-grade inflammation. This affects fetal development and programs the offspring’s health for developing cardiovascular and metabolic disease later in life. MME (membrane-metalloendopeptidase, neprilysin) cleaves various peptides regulating vascular tone. Endothelial cells express membrane-bound and soluble MME. In adults, the metabolic environment of overweight and obesity upregulates endothelial and circulating MME. We here hypothesized that maternal overweight increases MME in the feto-placental endothelium. We used primary feto-placental endothelial cells (fpEC) isolated from placentas after normal vs. overweight pregnancies and determined MME mRNA, protein, and release. Additionally, soluble cord blood MME was analyzed. The effect of oxygen and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) on MME protein in fpEC was investigated in vitro. Maternal overweight reduced MME mRNA (−39.9%, p < 0.05), protein (−42.5%, p = 0.02), and MME release from fpEC (−64.7%, p = 0.02). Both cellular and released MME protein negatively correlated with maternal pre-pregnancy BMI. Similarly, cord blood MME was negatively associated with pre-pregnancy BMI (r = −0.42, p = 0.02). However, hypoxia and TNFα, potential negative regulators of MME expression, did not affect MME protein. Reduction of MME protein in fpEC and in cord blood may alter the balance of vasoactive peptides. Our study highlights the fetal susceptibility to maternal metabolism and inflammatory state.
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Obesity during pregnancy results in maternal intestinal inflammation, placental hypoxia, and alters fetal glucose metabolism at mid-gestation. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17621. [PMID: 31772245 PMCID: PMC6879619 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54098-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated whether diet-induced changes in the maternal intestinal microbiota were associated with changes in bacterial metabolites and their receptors, intestinal inflammation, and placental inflammation at mid-gestation (E14.5) in female mice fed a control (17% kcal fat, n = 7) or a high-fat diet (HFD 60% kcal fat, n = 9; ad libitum) before and during pregnancy. Maternal diet-induced obesity (mDIO) resulted in a reduction in maternal fecal short-chain fatty acid producing Lachnospiraceae, lower cecal butyrate, intestinal antimicrobial peptide levels, and intestinal SCFA receptor Ffar3, Ffar2 and Hcar2 transcript levels. mDIO increased maternal intestinal pro-inflammatory NFκB activity, colonic CD3+ T cell number, and placental inflammation. Maternal obesity was associated with placental hypoxia, increased angiogenesis, and increased transcript levels of glucose and amino acid transporters. Maternal and fetal markers of gluconeogenic capacity were decreased in pregnancies complicated by obesity. We show that mDIO impairs bacterial metabolite signaling pathways in the mother at mid-gestation, which was associated with significant structural changes in placental blood vessels, likely as a result of placental hypoxia. It is likely that maternal intestinal changes contribute to adverse maternal and placental adaptations that, via alterations in fetal hepatic glucose handling, may impart increased risk of metabolic dysfunction in offspring.
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Maternal Diet-Induced Obesity Compromises Oxidative Stress Status and Angiogenesis in the Porcine Placenta by Upregulating Nox2 Expression. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2019; 2019:2481592. [PMID: 31662816 PMCID: PMC6791269 DOI: 10.1155/2019/2481592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Maternal obesity is associated with placental oxidative stress. However, the mechanism underlying this association remains poorly understood. In the present study, a gilt obesity model was developed by exposure to different energy diets and used to investigate the role of NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2) in the placenta. Specifically, 99 gilts (Guangdong Small-ear Spotted pig) at day 60 of gestation were randomly assigned to one of the following three treatments: low-energy group (L, DE = 11.50 MJ/kg), medium-energy group (M, DE = 12.41 MJ/kg), and high-energy group (H, DE = 13.42 MJ/kg), with 11 replicate pens per treatment and 3 gilts per pen. At the start of the study, maternal body weight and backfat thickness were not significantly different in the three treatments. After the study, data indicated that the H group had higher body weight and backfat thickness gain for gilts during gestation and lower piglet birth weight compared with the other two groups. Additionally, the H group showed glucolipid metabolic disorders and increased triglyceride and nonesterified fatty acid contents in the placenta of gilts. Compared with the L group, the H group exhibited lower mitochondrial biogenesis and increased oxidative damage in the placenta. Importantly, increased mRNA expression and protein abundance of Nox2 were observed for the first time in H group placentae. Furthermore, compared with the L group, the H group showed a decrease in the density of placental vessels and the protein levels of vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), and phosphorylation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (p-VEGFR2) as well as the immunostaining intensity of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (CD31). Our findings suggest that maternal high-energy diet-induced obesity increases placental oxidative stress and decreases placental angiogenesis possibly through the upregulation of Nox2.
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Sureshchandra S, Marshall NE, Messaoudi I. Impact of pregravid obesity on maternal and fetal immunity: Fertile grounds for reprogramming. J Leukoc Biol 2019; 106:1035-1050. [PMID: 31483523 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.3ri0619-181r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal pregravid obesity results in several adverse health outcomes during pregnancy, including increased risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, placental abruption, and complications at delivery. Additionally, pregravid obesity and in utero exposure to high fat diet have been shown to have detrimental effects on fetal programming, predisposing the offspring to adverse cardiometabolic, endocrine, and neurodevelopmental outcomes. More recently, a deeper appreciation for the modulation of offspring immunity and infectious disease-related outcomes by maternal pregravid obesity has emerged. This review will describe currently available animal models for studying the impact of maternal pregravid obesity on fetal immunity and review the data from clinical and animal model studies. We also examine the burden of pregravid obesity on the maternal-fetal interface and the link between placental and systemic inflammation. Finally, we discuss future studies needed to identify key mechanistic underpinnings that link maternal inflammatory changes and fetal cellular reprogramming events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhas Sureshchandra
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Nicole E Marshall
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Ilhem Messaoudi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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Son JS, Liu X, Tian Q, Zhao L, Chen Y, Hu Y, Chae SA, de Avila JM, Zhu MJ, Du M. Exercise prevents the adverse effects of maternal obesity on placental vascularization and fetal growth. J Physiol 2019; 597:3333-3347. [PMID: 31115053 DOI: 10.1113/jp277698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Maternal exercise improves the metabolic health of maternal mice challenged with a high-fat diet. Exercise intervention of obese mothers prevents fetal overgrowth. Exercise intervention reverses impaired placental vascularization in obese mice. Maternal exercise activates placental AMP-activated protein kinase, which was inhibited as a result of maternal obesity. ABSTRACT More than one-third of pregnant women in the USA are obese and maternal obesity (MO) negatively affects fetal development, which predisposes offspring to metabolic diseases. The placenta mediates nutrient delivery to fetuses and its function is impaired as a result of MO. Exercise ameliorates metabolic dysfunction resulting from obesity, although its effect on placental function of obese mothers has not been explored. In the present study, C57BL/6J female mice were randomly assigned into two groups fed either a control or a high-fat diet (HFD) and then the mice on each diet were further divided into two subgroups with/without exercise. In HFD-induced obese mice, daily treadmill exercise during pregnancy reduced body weight gain, lowered serum glucose and lipid concentration, and improved insulin sensitivity of maternal mice. Importantly, maternal exercise prevented fetal overgrowth (macrosomia) induced by MO. To further examine the preventive effects of exercise on fetal overgrowth, placental vascularization and nutrient transporters were analysed. Vascular density and the expression of vasculogenic factors were reduced as a result of MO but were recovered by maternal exercise. On the other hand, the contents of nutrient transporters were not substantially altered by MO or exercise, suggesting that the protective effects of exercise in MO-induced fetal overgrowth were primarily a result of the alteration of placental vascularization and improved maternal metabolism. Furthermore, exercise enhanced downstream insulin signalling and activated AMP-activated protein kinase in HFD placenta. In sum, maternal exercise prevented fetal overgrowth induced by MO, which was associated with improved maternal metabolism and placental vascularization in obese mothers with exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Seok Son
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Xiangdong Liu
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Qiyu Tian
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Liang Zhao
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Yanting Chen
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Yun Hu
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Song Ah Chae
- Department of Movement Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Jeanene M de Avila
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Mei-Jun Zhu
- School of Food Science, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Min Du
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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50
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Echeverria C, Eltit F, Santibanez JF, Gatica S, Cabello-Verrugio C, Simon F. Endothelial dysfunction in pregnancy metabolic disorders. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2019; 1866:165414. [PMID: 30794867 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2019.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2018] [Revised: 02/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, the vascular endothelium has gained attention as a key player in the initiation and development of pregnancy disorders. Endothelium acts as an endocrine organ that preserves the homeostatic balance by responding to changes in metabolic status. However, in metabolic disorders, endothelial cells adopt a dysfunctional function, losing their normal responsiveness. During pregnancy, several metabolic changes occur, in which endothelial function decisively participates. Similarly, when pregnancy metabolic disorders occur, endothelial dysfunction plays a key role in pathogenesis. This review outlines the main findings regarding endothelial dysfunction in three main metabolic pathological conditions observed during pregnancy: gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, and obesity and hyperlipidemia. Organ, histological and cellular characteristics were thoroughly described. Also, we focused in discussing the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the cellular signaling pathways that mediate responses in these pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar Echeverria
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Atacama, Copayapu 485, 1531772 Copiapo, Chile
| | - Felipe Eltit
- Department of Materials Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Juan F Santibanez
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; Centro Integrativo de Biología y Química Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sebastian Gatica
- Departamento de Ciencias Biologicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, 8370146 Santiago, Chile; Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, 8331150 Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudio Cabello-Verrugio
- Departamento de Ciencias Biologicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, 8370146 Santiago, Chile; Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, 8331150 Santiago, Chile; Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CEDENNA), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Felipe Simon
- Departamento de Ciencias Biologicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, 8370146 Santiago, Chile; Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, 8331150 Santiago, Chile.
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