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Huang Z, Cheng S, Jash S, Fierce J, Agudelo A, Higashiyama T, Hanna N, Nakashima A, Saito S, Padbury J, Schuster J, Sharma S. Exploiting sweet relief for preeclampsia by targeting autophagy-lysosomal machinery and proteinopathy. Exp Mol Med 2024; 56:1206-1220. [PMID: 38760513 PMCID: PMC11148015 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-024-01234-x] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The etiology of preeclampsia (PE), a severe complication of pregnancy with several clinical manifestations and a high incidence of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, remains unclear. This issue is a major hurdle for effective treatment strategies. We recently demonstrated that PE exhibits an Alzheimer-like etiology of impaired autophagy and proteinopathy in the placenta. Targeting of these pathological pathways may be a novel therapeutic strategy for PE. Stimulation of autophagy with the natural disaccharide trehalose and its lacto analog lactotrehalose in hypoxia-exposed primary human trophoblasts restored autophagy, inhibited the accumulation of toxic protein aggregates, and restored the ultrastructural features of autophagosomes and autolysosomes. Importantly, trehalose and lactotrehalose inhibited the onset of PE-like features in a humanized mouse model by normalizing autophagy and inhibiting protein aggregation in the placenta. These disaccharides restored the autophagy-lysosomal biogenesis machinery by increasing nuclear translocation of the master transcriptional regulator TFEB. RNA-seq analysis of the placentas of mice with PE indicated the normalization of the PE-associated transcriptome profile in response to trehalose and lactotrehalose. In summary, our results provide a novel molecular rationale for impaired autophagy and proteinopathy in patients with PE and identify treatment with trehalose and its lacto analog as promising therapeutic options for this severe pregnancy complication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheping Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02905, USA
| | - Shibin Cheng
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02905, USA
| | - Sukanta Jash
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02905, USA
| | - Jamie Fierce
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02905, USA
| | - Anthony Agudelo
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02905, USA
| | | | - Nazeeh Hanna
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, New York University Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, New York, NY, USA
| | - Akitoshi Nakashima
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Shigeru Saito
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - James Padbury
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jessica Schuster
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02905, USA
| | - Surendra Sharma
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02905, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.
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Medegan Fagla B, Buhimschi IA. Protein Misfolding in Pregnancy: Current Insights, Potential Mechanisms, and Implications for the Pathogenesis of Preeclampsia. Molecules 2024; 29:610. [PMID: 38338354 PMCID: PMC10856193 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29030610] [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: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding disorders are a group of diseases characterized by supra-physiologic accumulation and aggregation of pathogenic proteoforms resulting from improper protein folding and/or insufficiency in clearance mechanisms. Although these processes have been historically linked to neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, evidence linking protein misfolding to other pathologies continues to emerge. Indeed, the deposition of toxic protein aggregates in the form of oligomers or large amyloid fibrils has been linked to type 2 diabetes, various types of cancer, and, in more recent years, to preeclampsia, a life-threatening pregnancy-specific disorder. While extensive physiological mechanisms are in place to maintain proteostasis, processes, such as aging, genetic factors, or environmental stress in the form of hypoxia, nutrient deprivation or xenobiotic exposures can induce failure in these systems. As such, pregnancy, a natural physical state that already places the maternal body under significant physiological stress, creates an environment with a lower threshold for aberrant aggregation. In this review, we set out to discuss current evidence of protein misfolding in pregnancy and potential mechanisms supporting a key role for this process in preeclampsia pathogenesis. Improving our understanding of this emerging pathophysiological process in preeclampsia can lead to vital discoveries that can be harnessed to create better diagnoses and treatment modalities for the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Irina Alexandra Buhimschi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA;
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Sun S, Zhang C, Zhang Q, Li C, Huang D, Ding R, Cao J, Hao J. Role of ROS-mediated PERK/ATF4 signaling activation in extracorporeal tube formation injury of human umbilical vein endothelial cells induced by cooking oil fume PM 2.5 exposure. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 263:115332. [PMID: 37611476 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Cooking oil fume-derived PM2.5 (COF-PM2.5) is a major source of indoor air contamination in China, which has been demonstrated to be a hazard factor of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. This study aimed to investigate the role of ROS-mediated PERK/ATF4 signaling activation in COF-PM2.5-inhibited extracorporeal tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). HUVECs were treated with 100 μg/mL COF-PM2.5 at different times, with or without 100 nM PERK activity inhibitor GSK2606414 (GSK) or 200 μM antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) pretreatment. Our results showed that COF-PM2.5 exposure can inhibit extracorporeal tube formation and down-regulate VEGFR2 expression in HUVECs. Furthermore, our data indicated that COF-PM2.5 exposure can activate the PERK/ATF4 signaling in HUVECs. Mechanistically, pretreatment with GSK interdicted PERK/ATF4 signaling, thereby reversing COF-PM2.5-downregulated VEGFR2 protein expression in HUVECs. Furthermore, NAC reversed VEGFR2 expression downregulated induced by COF-PM2.5 by inhibiting the upregulation of intracellular ROS levels and PERK/ATF4 signaling in HUVECs. As above, COF-PM2.5 exposure could induce ROS release from HUVECs, which in turn activate the endoplasmic reticulum PERK/ATF4 signaling and inhibit tube formation of HUVECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Sun
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Teaching Center for Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Hefei Institutes of Physical Science Chinese Academy of Sciences, No 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei 230001, Anhui, China
| | - Changlian Li
- Department of Environmental Health, Hefei Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No 86 Lu'an Road, Hefei 230061, Anhui, China
| | - Dan Huang
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Rui Ding
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, China
| | - Jiyu Cao
- Teaching Center for Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China.
| | - Jiahu Hao
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China.
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Ren Y, Zhu D, Han X, Zhang Q, Chen B, Zhou P, Wei Z, Zhang Z, Cao Y, Zou H. HMGB1: a double-edged sword and therapeutic target in the female reproductive system. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1238785. [PMID: 37691930 PMCID: PMC10484633 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1238785] [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: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
HMGB1 that belongs to the High Mobility Group-box superfamily, is a nonhistone chromatin associated transcription factor. It is present in the nucleus of eukaryotes and can be actively secreted or passively released by kinds of cells. HMGB1 is important for maintaining DNA structure by binding to DNA and histones, protecting it from damage. It also regulates the interaction between histones and DNA, affecting chromatin packaging, and can influence gene expression by promoting nucleosome sliding. And as a DAMP, HMGB1 binding to RAGE and TLRs activates NF-κB, which triggers the expression of downstream genes like IL-18, IL-1β, and TNF-α. HMGB1 is known to be involved in numerous physiological and pathological processes. Recent studies have demonstrated the significance of HMGB1 as DAMPs in the female reproductive system. These findings have shed light on the potential role of HMGB1 in the pathogenesis of diseases in female reproductive system and the possibilities of HMGB1-targeted therapies for treating them. Such therapies can help reduce inflammation and metabolic dysfunction and alleviate the symptoms of reproductive system diseases. Overall, the identification of HMGB1 as a key player in disease of the female reproductive system represents a significant breakthrough in our understanding of these conditions and presents exciting opportunities for the development of novel therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Ren
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Damin Zhu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xingxing Han
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Qiqi Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Beili Chen
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Ping Zhou
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Zhaolian Wei
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Zhiguo Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yunxia Cao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Huijuan Zou
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
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Cheng S, Huang Z, Nakashima A, Sharma S. Gestational Age-Dependent Regulation of Transthyretin in Mice during Pregnancy. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1048. [PMID: 37626934 PMCID: PMC10451295 DOI: 10.3390/biology12081048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Our prior studies have shown that protein misfolding and aggregation in the placenta are linked to the development of preeclampsia, a severe pregnancy complication. We identified transthyretin (TTR) as a key component of the aggregated protein complex. However, the regulation of native TTR in normal pregnancy remains unclear. In this study, we found that pregnant mice exhibited a remarkable and progressive decline in serum TTR levels through gestational day (gd) 12-14, followed by an increase in late pregnancy and postpartum. Meanwhile, serum albumin levels showed a modest but statistically significant increase throughout gestation. TTR protein and mRNA levels in the liver, a primary source of circulating TTR, mirrored the changes observed in serum TTR levels during gestation. Intriguingly, a similar pattern of TTR alteration was also observed in the serum of pregnant women and pregnant interleukin-10-knockout (IL-10-/-) mice with high inflammation background. In non-pregnant IL-10-/- mice, serum TTR levels were significantly lower than those in age-matched wild-type mice. Administration of IL-10 to non-pregnant IL-10-/- mice restored their serum TTR levels. Notably, dysregulation of TTR resulted in fewer implantation units, lower fetal weight, and smaller litter sizes in human TTR-overexpressing transgenic mice. Thus, TTR may play a pivotal role as a crucial regulator in normal pregnancy, and inflammation during pregnancy may contribute to the downregulation of serum TTR presence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shibin Cheng
- Department of Pediatrics, Women & Infants Hospital, Rhode Island and Brown University, Providence, RI 02905, USA;
| | - Zheping Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, Women & Infants Hospital, Rhode Island and Brown University, Providence, RI 02905, USA;
| | - Akitoshi Nakashima
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-8555, Japan;
| | - Surendra Sharma
- Department of Pediatrics, Women & Infants Hospital, Rhode Island and Brown University, Providence, RI 02905, USA;
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Alencar AKN, Swan KF, Pridjian G, Lindsey SH, Bayer CL. Connecting G protein-coupled estrogen receptor biomolecular mechanisms with the pathophysiology of preeclampsia: a review. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2023; 21:60. [PMID: 37393260 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-023-01112-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Throughout the course of pregnancy, small maternal spiral arteries that are in contact with fetal tissue undergo structural remodeling, lose smooth muscle cells, and become less responsive to vasoconstrictors. Additionally, placental extravillous trophoblasts invade the maternal decidua to establish an interaction between the fetal placental villi with the maternal blood supply. When successful, this process enables the transport of oxygen, nutrients, and signaling molecules but an insufficiency leads to placental ischemia. In response, the placenta releases vasoactive factors that enter the maternal circulation and promote maternal cardiorenal dysfunction, a hallmark of preeclampsia (PE), the leading cause of maternal and fetal death. An underexplored mechanism in the development of PE is the impact of membrane-initiated estrogen signaling via the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER). Recent evidence indicates that GPER activation is associated with normal trophoblast invasion, placental angiogenesis/hypoxia, and regulation of uteroplacental vasodilation, and these mechanisms could explain part of the estrogen-induced control of uterine remodeling and placental development in pregnancy. CONCLUSION Although the relevance of GPER in PE remains speculative, this review provides a summary of our current understanding on how GPER stimulation regulates some of the features of normal pregnancy and a potential link between its signaling network and uteroplacental dysfunction in PE. Synthesis of this information will facilitate the development of innovative treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kenneth F Swan
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Gabriella Pridjian
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Sarah H Lindsey
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Carolyn L Bayer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, 500 Lindy Boggs Center, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA.
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Young M, Tang M, Li H, Richard DJ, McLeod DSA, d'Emden MC, Richard K. Transthyretin binds soluble endoglin and increases its uptake by hepatocytes: A possible role for transthyretin in preeclampsia? Mol Cell Endocrinol 2023; 562:111851. [PMID: 36634839 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.111851] [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: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preeclampsia is a common but life-threatening condition of pregnancy. It is caused by poor placentation resulting in release of trophoblast material (including soluble endoglin (sEng)) into the maternal circulation leading to maternal vascular dysfunction and to the life-threatening condition of eclampsia. The only cure is early delivery, which can have lifelong consequences for the premature child. The thyroid hormone binding protein transthyretin is dysregulated in preeclampsia, however it is not known if this plays a role in disease pathology. We hypothesised that transthyretin may bind sEng and abrogate its negative effects by removing it from the maternal serum. METHODS The effect of transthyretin on hepatocyte uptake of Alexa-labelled sEng was measured using live cell imaging. Interactions between transthyretin, and sEng were investigated using molecular modelling, direct binding on CnBr Sepharose columns, confocal imaging, and measurement of fluorescence resonance energy transfer. RESULTS Transthyretin directly bound to sEng and increased its uptake by hepatocytes. This uptake was altered in the presence of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Molecular modelling predicted that transthyretin and TGF-β1 bind at the same site in sEng and may compete for binding. Endocytosed transthyretin and endoglin entered cells together and co-localised inside hepatocyte cells. CONCLUSION Transthyretin can bind sEng and increase its uptake from the extracellular medium. This suggests that increasing transthyretin levels or developing drugs that normalise or mimic transthyretin, may provide treatment options to reduce sEng induced vascular dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Young
- Conjoint Internal Medicine Laboratory, Chemical Pathology, Pathology Queensland, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ming Tang
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Cancer & Ageing Research Program, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Translational Research Institute (TRI), Brisbane, Australia
| | - Huika Li
- Conjoint Internal Medicine Laboratory, Chemical Pathology, Pathology Queensland, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Derek J Richard
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Cancer & Ageing Research Program, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Translational Research Institute (TRI), Brisbane, Australia
| | - Donald S A McLeod
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia; QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Michael C d'Emden
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia; School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, Qld, 4029, Australia
| | - Kerry Richard
- Conjoint Internal Medicine Laboratory, Chemical Pathology, Pathology Queensland, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Australia; Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Cancer & Ageing Research Program, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Translational Research Institute (TRI), Brisbane, Australia; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia; School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, Qld, 4029, Australia.
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Zuñiga LFF, Muñoz YS, Pustovrh MC. Thyroid hormones: Metabolism and transportation in the fetoplacental unit. Mol Reprod Dev 2022; 89:526-539. [PMID: 36208482 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The thyroid hormones (THs), thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), are of vital importance for fetal development. The concentration of THs in fetal circulation varies throughout gestation and differs from the concentration in the maternal serum, indicating the presence of maternal-fetal thyroid homeostasis regulatory mechanisms in the placenta. The passage of THs from maternal circulation to fetal circulation is modulated by plasma membrane transporters, enzymes, and carrier proteins. Monocarboxylate transporter 8, iodothyronine deiodinases (DIO2 and DIO3), and transthyretin are especially involved in this maternal-fetal thyroid modulation, shown by a greater expression in the placenta. THs also play a role in placental development and as expected, abnormal variations in TH levels are associated with pregnancy complications and can result in damage to the fetus. Although new evidence regarding TH regulation during pregnancy and its effects in the mother, placenta, and fetus has been published, many aspects of these interactions are still poorly understood. The objective of this review is to provide an evidence-based update, drawn from current data, on the metabolism and transport of THs in the placenta and their vital role in the maternal-fetal relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Felipe Falla Zuñiga
- Department of Morphology, College of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Health, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - Yhoiss Smiht Muñoz
- Department of Morphology, College of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Health, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - Maria Carolina Pustovrh
- Department of Morphology, College of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Health, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
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