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Creisher PS, Lei J, Sherer ML, Dziedzic A, Jedlicka AE, Narasimhan H, Chudnovets A, Campbell AD, Liu A, Pekosz A, Burd I, Klein SL. Downregulation of transcriptional activity, increased inflammation, and damage in the placenta following in utero Zika virus infection is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. FRONTIERS IN VIROLOGY 2022; 2:782906. [PMID: 35573818 PMCID: PMC9104602 DOI: 10.3389/fviro.2022.782906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy causes serious adverse outcomes to the developing fetus, including fetal loss and birth defects known as congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). The mechanism by which ZIKV infection causes these adverse outcomes and specifically, the interplay between the maternal immune response and ZIKV replication has yet to be fully elucidated. Using an immunocompetent mouse model of transplacental ZIKV transmission and adverse pregnancy outcomes, we have previously shown that Asian lineage ZIKV disrupts placental morphology and induces elevated secretion of IL-1β. In the current manuscript, we characterized placental damage and inflammation during in utero African lineage ZIKV infection. Within 48 hours after ZIKV infection at embryonic day 10, viral RNA was detected in placentas and fetuses from ZIKA infected dams, which corresponded with placental damage and reduced fetal viability as compared with mock infected dams. Dams infected with ZIKV had reduced proportions of trophoblasts and endothelial cells and disrupted placental morphology compared to mock infected dams. While placental IL-1β was increased in the placenta, but not the spleen, within 3 hours post infection, this was not caused by activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Using bulk mRNAseq from placentas of ZIKV and mock infected dams, ZIKV infection caused profound downregulation of the transcriptional activity of genes that may underly tissue morphology, neurological development, metabolism, cell signaling and inflammation, illustrating that in utero ZIKV infections causes disruption of pathways associated with CZS in our model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick S. Creisher
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jun Lei
- Integrated Research Center for Fetal Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Morgan L. Sherer
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Amanda Dziedzic
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Anne E. Jedlicka
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Harish Narasimhan
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Anna Chudnovets
- Integrated Research Center for Fetal Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ariana D. Campbell
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Anguo Liu
- Integrated Research Center for Fetal Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Andrew Pekosz
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Irina Burd
- Integrated Research Center for Fetal Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Sabra L. Klein
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Double-label immunohistochemistry to assess labyrinth structure of the mouse placenta with stereology. Placenta 2020; 94:44-47. [PMID: 32421534 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2020.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
In mice, the labyrinth zone of the placenta exchanges nutrients and gases between mother and fetus. This placental zone is complex in structure and defects in its morphogenesis can compromise substrate exchange and thus, fetal growth and viability. Numerous mouse models involving genetic and environmental manipulation show abnormalities in labyrinth zone size. However, further structural analysis, normally undertaken using ultrathin resin sections, can pose practical constraints. Here, we validate the use of stereology on paraffin-embedded sections double-labelled for lectin and cytokeratin as a cheap, fast and robust alternative for analysing the structure of the mouse placental labyrinth.
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Xu H, Pausch H, Venhoranta H, Rutkowska K, Wurmser C, Rieblinger B, Flisikowska T, Frishman D, Zwierzchowski L, Fries R, Andersson M, Kind A, Schnieke A, Flisikowski K. Maternal placenta modulates a deleterious fetal mutation†. Biol Reprod 2017; 97:249-257. [DOI: 10.1093/biolre/iox064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
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IFPA Gábor Than Award Lecture: Recognition of placental failure is key to saving babies' lives. Placenta 2014; 36 Suppl 1:S20-8. [PMID: 25582276 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2014.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Revised: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In high-income countries, placental failure is implicated in up to 65% of cases of stillbirth. Placental failure describes the situation where the placenta cannot meet the fetus' needs and may be the end-result of a variety of underlying pathological processes evident in the placental disc, membranes and umbilical cord. These include lesions with genetic, environmental, infectious, inflammatory, mechanical, metabolic, traumatic or vascular origin. Investigation of placental tissue from stillbirths and from pregnancies at an increased risk of stillbirth has demonstrated changes in macroscopic and microscopic structure which are themselves related to abnormal placental function. A better understanding and identification of placental failure may improve the management of pregnancy complications and of pregnancies after stillbirth (which have a 5-fold increased risk of stillbirth). The majority of current antenatal tests focus on the fetus and its response to the intrauterine environment; few of these investigations reduce stillbirths in low-risk pregnancies. However, some currently used investigations reflect placental development, structure and vascular function, while other investigations employed in clinical research settings such as the evaluation of placental structure and shape have a good predictive value for adverse fetal outcome. In addition, recent studies suggest that biomarkers of placental inflammation and deteriorating placental function can be detected in maternal blood suggesting that holistic evaluation of placental structure and function is possible. We anticipate that development of reliable tests of placental structure and function, coupled to assessment of fetal wellbeing offer a new opportunity to identify pregnancies at risk of stillbirth and to direct novel therapeutic strategies to prevent it.
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