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Lei X, Ao J, Li J, Gao Y, Zhang J, Tian Y. Maternal concentrations of environmental phenols during early pregnancy and behavioral problems in children aged 4 years from the Shanghai Birth Cohort. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 933:172985. [PMID: 38705299 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172985] [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: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to environmental phenols such as bisphenol (BPs), paraben (PBs), benzophenone (BzPs), and triclosan (TCS) is ubiquitous and occurs in mixtures. Although some of them have been suspected to impact child behavioral development, evidence is still insufficient, and their mixed effects remain unclear. OBJECTIVES To explore the association of prenatal exposure to multiple phenols with child behavioral problems. METHOD In a sample of 600 mother-child pairs from the Shanghai Birth Cohort, we quantified 18 phenols (6 PBs, 7 BPs, 4 BzPs, and TCS) in urine samples collected during early pregnancy. Parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires were utilized to evaluate child behavioral difficulties across four subscales, namely conduct, hyperactivity/inattention, emotion, and peer relationship problems, at 4 years of age. Multivariable linear regression was conducted to estimate the relationships between single phenolic compounds and behavioral problems. Additionally, weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression was employed to examine the overall effects of the phenol mixture. Sex-stratified analyses were also performed. RESULTS Our population was extensively exposed to 10 phenols (direction rates >50 %), with low median concentrations (1.00 × 10-3-6.89 ng/mL). Among them, single chemical analyses revealed that 2,4-dihydroxy benzophenone (BP1), TCS, and methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (MeP) were associated with increased behavior problems, including hyperactivity/inattention (BP1: β = 0.16; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.04, 0.30), emotional problems (BP1: β = 0.11; 95 % CI: 0.02, 0.20; TCS: β = 0.08; 95 % CI: 0.02, 0.14), and peer problems (MeP: β = 0.10; 95 % CI: 0.02, 0.18); however, we did not identify any significant association with conduct problems. Further phenol mixture analyses in the WQS model yielded similar results. Stratification for child sex showed stronger positive associations in boys. CONCLUSION Our findings indicated that maternal phenol levels during early pregnancy, specifically BP1, TCS, and MeP, are associated with high behavioral problem scores in 4-year-old children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoning Lei
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200092 Shanghai, PR China; Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200025 Shanghai, PR China.
| | - Junjie Ao
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200092 Shanghai, PR China
| | - Jingjing Li
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200025 Shanghai, PR China
| | - Yu Gao
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200025 Shanghai, PR China
| | - Jun Zhang
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200092 Shanghai, PR China
| | - Ying Tian
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200092 Shanghai, PR China; Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200025 Shanghai, PR China.
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van Kammen CM, Taal SEL, Wever KE, Granger JP, Lely AT, Terstappen F. Reduced uterine perfusion pressure as a model for preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction in murine: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2024; 327:H89-H107. [PMID: 38758122 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00056.2024] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) model is frequently used to study preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. An improved understanding of influential factors might improve reproducibility and reduce animal use considering the variability in RUPP phenotype. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis by searching Medline and Embase (until 28 March, 2023) for RUPP studies in murine. Primary outcomes included maternal blood pressure (BP) or proteinuria, fetal weight or crown-rump length, fetal reabsorptions, or antiangiogenic factors. We aimed to identify influential factors by meta-regression analysis. We included 155 studies. Our meta-analysis showed that the RUPP procedure results in significantly higher BP (MD = 24.1 mmHg; [22.6; 25.7]; n = 148), proteinuria (SMD = 2.3; [0.9; 3.8]; n = 28), fetal reabsorptions (MD = 50.4%; [45.5; 55.2]; n = 42), circulating soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) (SMD = 2.6; [1.7; 3.4]; n = 34), and lower fetal weight (MD = -0.4 g; [-0.47; -0.34]; n = 113. The heterogeneity (variability between studies) in primary outcomes appeared ≥90%. Our meta-regression identified influential factors in the method and time point of BP measurement, randomization in fetal weight, and type of control group in sFlt-1. The RUPP is a robust model considering the evident differences in maternal and fetal outcomes. The high heterogeneity reflects the observed variability in phenotype. Because of underreporting, we observed reporting bias and a high risk of bias. We recommend standardizing study design by optimal time point and method chosen for readout measures to limit the variability. This contributes to improved reproducibility and thereby eventually improves the translational value of the RUPP model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caren M van Kammen
- Division of Nanomedicine, Department CDL Research, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Seija E L Taal
- Department of Woman and Baby, University Medical Center Utrecht, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Kimberley E Wever
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain, and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Joey P Granger
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Cardiovascular-Renal Research Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, United States
| | - A Titia Lely
- Department of Woman and Baby, University Medical Center Utrecht, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Fieke Terstappen
- Department of Woman and Baby, University Medical Center Utrecht, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Shimada H, Powell TL, Jansson T. Regulation of placental amino acid transport in health and disease. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2024; 240:e14157. [PMID: 38711335 PMCID: PMC11162343 DOI: 10.1111/apha.14157] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Abnormal fetal growth, i.e., intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) or fetal growth restriction (FGR) and fetal overgrowth, is associated with increased perinatal morbidity and mortality and is strongly linked to the development of metabolic and cardiovascular disease in childhood and later in life. Emerging evidence suggests that changes in placental amino acid transport may contribute to abnormal fetal growth. This review is focused on amino acid transport in the human placenta, however, relevant animal models will be discussed to add mechanistic insights. At least 25 distinct amino acid transporters with different characteristics and substrate preferences have been identified in the human placenta. Of these, System A, transporting neutral nonessential amino acids, and System L, mediating the transport of essential amino acids, have been studied in some detail. Importantly, decreased placental Systems A and L transporter activity is strongly associated with IUGR and increased placental activity of these two amino acid transporters has been linked to fetal overgrowth in human pregnancy. An array of factors in the maternal circulation, including insulin, IGF-1, and adiponectin, and placental signaling pathways such as mTOR, have been identified as key regulators of placental Systems A and L. Studies using trophoblast-specific gene targeting in mice have provided compelling evidence that changes in placental Systems A and L are mechanistically linked to altered fetal growth. It is possible that targeting specific placental amino acid transporters or their upstream regulators represents a novel intervention to alleviate the short- and long-term consequences of abnormal fetal growth in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Shimada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Theresa L Powell
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Thomas Jansson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Siwakoti RC, Park S, Ferguson KK, Hao W, Cantonwine DE, Mukherjee B, McElrath TF, Meeker JD. Prenatal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and maternal oxidative stress: Evidence from the LIFECODES study. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 360:142363. [PMID: 38768789 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142363] [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: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Although their underlying biological mechanisms are not fully understood, evidence suggests PFAS may disrupt endocrine functions and contribute to oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation. OBJECTIVE We examined associations between early pregnancy PFAS exposure and OS biomarkers, exploring potential effect modifications by fetal sex and maternal race. METHODS We used data from 469 LIFECODES participants with measured plasma PFAS (median 10 weeks gestation) and repeated measures (median 10, 18, 26, and 35 weeks gestation) of urinary OS biomarkers [8-iso-prostaglandin-F2α (8-isoprostane) and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG)]. Protein damage biomarkers (chlorotyrosine, dityrosine, and nitrotyrosine) were additionally measured in plasma from a subset (N = 167) during the third visit. Associations between each PFAS and OS biomarkers were examined using linear mixed-effects models and multivariable linear regressions, adjusting for potential confounders, including maternal age, race, education level, pre-pregnancy BMI, insurance status, and parity. Effect modifications were evaluated by including an interaction term between each PFAS and fetal sex or maternal race in the models. RESULTS We observed significant positive associations between PFOS and 8-isoprostane, with a 9.68% increase in 8-isoprostane levels (95% CI: 0.10%, 20.18%) per interquartile range increase in PFOS. In contrast, PFUA was negatively associated [9.32% (95% CI: -17.68%, -0.11%)], while there were suggestive positive associations for MPAH and PFOA with 8-isoprostane. The associations of several PFAS with 8-OHdG varied by fetal sex, showing generally positive trends in women who delivered females, but negative or null in those who delivered males. No significant effect modification by maternal race was observed. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence linking PFAS exposure to OS during pregnancy, with potential sex-specific effects of certain PFAS on 8-OHdG. Further research should explore additional OS/inflammatory biomarkers and assess the modifying effects of dietary and behavioral patterns across diverse populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ram C Siwakoti
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Seonyoung Park
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kelly K Ferguson
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Wei Hao
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - David E Cantonwine
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bhramar Mukherjee
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Thomas F McElrath
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John D Meeker
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Fieß A, Hartmann A, Mildenberger E, Urschitz MS, Laspas P, Schultheis A, Stoffelns B, Pfeiffer N, Gißler S, Schuster AK. Sex-Specific Differences in the Relationship Between Prematurity and Ocular Geometry. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2024; 65:23. [PMID: 38874964 PMCID: PMC11182371 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.65.6.23] [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: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose To explore differences in the relationship between gestational age (GA) and birth weight (BW) percentile and ocular geometry between males and females. Methods The Gutenberg Prematurity Eye Study involved a prospective ophthalmic examination of adults, aged 18 to 52 years, who were born preterm or at term, in Germany. The associations between GA and BW percentile on the main outcome measures were evaluated by uni- and multivariable linear regression analyses. The main outcome measures were central corneal thickness, corneal radius, anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, posterior segment length, and central foveal thickness. Potential sex-specific differences and an effect modification by sex were analyzed. Results This study involved 438 participants (245 females, 193 males) with an average age of 28.6 ± 8.7 years. In female participants, central foveal thickness was negatively associated with a higher GA (B = -2.99; P < 0.001). Similarly, male participants also demonstrated a negative association between central foveal thickness and GA (B = -4.27; P < 0.001). The multivariable model with effect modification revealed that the central foveal thickness was thicker with lower GA. There was an association between the effect modification of GA with sex and central foveal thickness, demonstrating a more pronounced effect of GA on central foveal thickness in male participants (B = 1.29; P = 0.04). Conclusions This study identified a sex-specific correlation between lower GA and thicker central foveal thickness, suggesting differences in the developmental trajectory of this biometric parameter concerning GA. A thicker central foveal thickness might affect the visual acuity of individuals born preterm in adulthood, with a more pronounced impact in males and a potential predisposition to age-related diseases later in life. Sex did not influence the association of GA or BW percentile to other ocular geometric parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achim Fieß
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Alica Hartmann
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Eva Mildenberger
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Michael S. Urschitz
- Division of Pediatric Epidemiology, Institute for Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Panagiotis Laspas
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Anna Schultheis
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Bernhard Stoffelns
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Norbert Pfeiffer
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sandra Gißler
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Alexander K. Schuster
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Grundeken M, Gustin K, Vahter M, Delaval M, Barman M, Sandin A, Sandberg AS, Wold AE, Broberg K, Kippler M. Toxic metals and essential trace elements in placenta and their relation to placental function. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 248:118355. [PMID: 38295973 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118355] [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: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Placental function is essential for fetal development, but it may be susceptible to malnutrition and environmental stressors. OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of toxic and essential trace elements in placenta on placental function. METHODS Toxic metals (cadmium, lead, mercury, cobalt) and essential elements (copper, manganese, zinc, selenium) were measured in placenta of 406 pregnant women in northern Sweden using ICP-MS. Placental weight and birth weight were obtained from hospital records and fetoplacental weight ratio was used to estimate placental efficiency. Placental relative telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) were determined by quantitative PCR (n = 285). Single exposure-outcome associations were evaluated using linear or spline regression, and joint associations and interactions with Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), all adjusted for sex, maternal smoking, and age or BMI. RESULTS Median cadmium, mercury, lead, cobalt, copper, manganese, zinc, and selenium concentrations in placenta were 3.2, 1.8, 4.3, 2.3, 1058, 66, 10626, and 166 μg/kg, respectively. In the adjusted regression, selenium (>147 μg/kg) was inversely associated with placental weight (B: -158; 95 % CI: -246, -71, per doubling), as was lead at low selenium (B: -23.6; 95 % CI: -43.2, -4.0, per doubling). Manganese was positively associated with placental weight (B: 41; 95 % CI: 5.9, 77, per doubling) and inversely associated with placental efficiency (B: -0.01; 95 % CI: -0.019, -0.004, per doubling). Cobalt was inversely associated with mtDNAcn (B: -11; 95 % CI: -20, -0.018, per doubling), whereas all essential elements were positively associated with mtDNAcn, individually and joint. CONCLUSION Among the toxic metals, lead appeared to negatively impact placental weight and cobalt decreased placental mtDNAcn. Joint essential element concentrations increased placental mtDNAcn. Manganese also appeared to increase placental weight, but not birth weight. The inverse association of selenium with placental weight may reflect increased transport of selenium to the fetus in late gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marijke Grundeken
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Klara Gustin
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Marie Vahter
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mathilde Delaval
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Joint Mass Spectrometry Centre (JMSC), Cooperation Group Comprehensive Molecular Analytics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Malin Barman
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Food and Nutrition Science, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Sandin
- Department of Clinical Science, Pediatrics, Sunderby Research Unit, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Ann-Sofie Sandberg
- Food and Nutrition Science, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Agnes E Wold
- Institute of Biomedicine, Dept, Of Infectious Diseases, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Karin Broberg
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Kippler
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Adgent MA, Buth E, Noroña-Zhou A, Szpiro AA, Loftus CT, Moore PE, Wright RJ, Barrett ES, LeWinn KZ, Zhao Q, Nguyen R, Karr CJ, Bush NR, Carroll KN. Maternal stressful life events during pregnancy and childhood asthma and wheeze. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2024; 132:594-601.e3. [PMID: 38122928 PMCID: PMC11069451 DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2023.12.015] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have linked prenatal maternal psychosocial stress to childhood wheeze/asthma but have rarely investigated factors that may mitigate risks. OBJECTIVE To investigate associations between prenatal stress and childhood wheeze/asthma, evaluating factors that may modify stress effects. METHODS Participants included 2056 mother-child dyads from Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO)-PATHWAYS, a consortium of 3 prospective pregnancy cohorts (the Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood study, The Infant Development and Environment Study, and a subset of the Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth study) from 6 cities. Maternal stressful life events experienced during pregnancy (PSLEs) were reported using the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System Stressful Life Events questionnaire. Parents reported child wheeze/asthma outcomes at age 4 to 6 years using standardized questionnaires. We defined outcomes as ever asthma, current wheeze, current asthma, and strict asthma. We used modified Poisson regression with robust standard errors (SEs) to estimate risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CI per 1-unit increase in PSLE, adjusting for confounders. We evaluated effect modification by child sex, maternal history of asthma, maternal childhood traumatic life events, neighborhood-level resources, and breastfeeding. RESULTS Overall, we observed significantly elevated risk for current wheeze with increasing PSLE (RR, 1.09 [95% CI, 1.03-1.14]), but not for other outcomes. We observed significant effect modification by child sex for strict asthma (P interaction = .03), in which risks were elevated in boys (RR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.02-1.19]) but not in girls. For all other outcomes, risks were significantly elevated in boys and not in girls, although there was no statistically significant evidence of effect modification. We observed no evidence of effect modification by other factors (P interactions > .05). CONCLUSION Risk of adverse childhood respiratory outcomes is higher with increasing maternal PSLEs, particularly in boys.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erin Buth
- University of Washington, Seattle WA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Emily S. Barrett
- Rutgers School of Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute; Piscataway NJ
| | - Kaja Z. LeWinn
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco CA
| | - Qi Zhao
- University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis TN
| | | | | | - Nicole R. Bush
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco CA
| | - Kecia N. Carroll
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville TN
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY
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Broséus L, Guilbert A, Hough I, Kloog I, Chauvaud A, Seyve E, Vaiman D, Heude B, Chevrier C, Tost J, Slama R, Lepeule J. Placental DNA methylation signatures of prenatal air pollution exposure and potential effects on birth outcomes: an analysis of three prospective cohorts. Lancet Planet Health 2024; 8:e297-e308. [PMID: 38723642 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(24)00045-7] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pregnancy air pollution exposure (PAPE) has been linked to a wide range of adverse birth and childhood outcomes, but there is a paucity of data on its influence on the placental epigenome, which can regulate the programming of physiological functions and affect child development. This study aimed to investigate the association between prenatal air pollutant exposure concentrations and changes in placental DNA methylation patterns, and to explore the potential windows of susceptibility and sex-specific alterations. METHODS This multi-site study used three prospective population-based mother-child cohorts: EDEN, PELAGIE, and SEPAGES, originating from four French geographical regions (Nancy, Poitiers, Brittany, and Grenoble). Pregnant women were included between 2003 and 2006 for EDEN and PELAGIE, and between 2014 and 2017 for SEPAGES. The main eligibility criteria were: being older than 18 years, having a singleton pregnancy, and living and planning to deliver in one of the maternity clinics in one of the study areas. A total of 1539 mother-child pairs were analysed, measuring placental DNA methylation using Illumina BeadChips. We used validated spatiotemporally resolved models to estimate PM2·5, PM10, and NO2 exposure over each trimester of pregnancy at the maternal residential address. We conducted a pooled adjusted epigenome-wide association study to identify differentially methylated 5'-C-phosphate-G-3' (CpG) sites and regions (assessed using the Infinium HumanMethylationEPIC BeadChip array, n=871), including sex-specific and sex-linked alterations, and independently validated our results (assessed using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array, n=668). FINDINGS We identified four CpGs and 28 regions associated with PAPE in the total population, 469 CpGs and 87 regions in male infants, and 150 CpGs and 66 regions in female infants. We validated 35% of the CpGs available. More than 30% of the identified CpGs were related to one (or more) birth outcome and most significant alterations were enriched for neural development, immunity, and metabolism related genes. The 28 regions identified for both sexes overlapped with imprinted genes (four genes), and were associated with neurodevelopment (nine genes), immune system (seven genes), and metabolism (five genes). Most associations were observed for the third trimester for female infants (134 of 150 CpGs), and throughout pregnancy (281 of 469 CpGs) and the first trimester (237 of 469 CpGs) for male infants. INTERPRETATION These findings highlight the molecular pathways through which PAPE might affect child health in a widespread and sex-specific manner, identifying the genes involved in the major physiological functions of a developing child. Further studies are needed to elucidate whether these epigenetic changes persist and affect health later in life. FUNDING French Agency for National Research, Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, Fondation de France, and the Plan Cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucile Broséus
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, Team of Environmental Epidemiology applied to Development and Respiratory Health, IAB, Grenoble, France.
| | - Ariane Guilbert
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, Team of Environmental Epidemiology applied to Development and Respiratory Health, IAB, Grenoble, France
| | - Ian Hough
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, Team of Environmental Epidemiology applied to Development and Respiratory Health, IAB, Grenoble, France; Institute of Environmental Geosciences, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France; Department of Geography and Environmental Development, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Itai Kloog
- Department of Geography and Environmental Development, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel; Department of Environmental Medicine and Climate Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anath Chauvaud
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, Team of Environmental Epidemiology applied to Development and Respiratory Health, IAB, Grenoble, France
| | - Emie Seyve
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, Team of Environmental Epidemiology applied to Development and Respiratory Health, IAB, Grenoble, France
| | - Daniel Vaiman
- Institut Cochin, U1016 Inserm, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8104, CNRS, Paris-Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - Barbara Heude
- Université Paris Cité et Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, INRAE, Centre de Recherche en Épidémiologie et Statistiques, Paris, France
| | - Cécile Chevrier
- University of Rennes, Inserm, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Jörg Tost
- Laboratory for Epigenetics and Environment, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Institut de Biologie François Jacob, University Paris Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Rémy Slama
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, Team of Environmental Epidemiology applied to Development and Respiratory Health, IAB, Grenoble, France
| | - Johanna Lepeule
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, Team of Environmental Epidemiology applied to Development and Respiratory Health, IAB, Grenoble, France.
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Grace MR, Vora NL, Smeester L, Dotters-Katz SK, Fry RC, Bae-Jump V, Boggess K. Sex-Dependent Differences in Mouse Placental Gene Expression following a Maternal High-Fat Diet. Am J Perinatol 2024; 41:e1273-e1280. [PMID: 36608700 PMCID: PMC10427734 DOI: 10.1055/a-2008-8286] [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] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In utero fetal exposures may have sex-specific placental gene responses. Our objective was to measure sex-based differences in placental gene expression from dams fed high-fat diet (HFD) versus control diet (CD). STUDY DESIGN We fed timed pregnant Friend virus B-strain dams either a CD (n = 5) or an HFD (n = 5). We euthanized dams on embryonic day 17.5 to collect placentas. We extracted placental RNA and hybridized it to a customized 96-gene Nanostring panel focusing on angiogenic, inflammatory, and growth genes. We compared normalized gene expression between CD and HFD, stratified by fetal sex, using analysis of variance. Pathway analysis was used to further interpret the genomic data. RESULTS Pups from HFD-fed dams were heavier than those from CD-fed dams (0.97 ± 0.06 vs. 0.84 ± 0.08 g, p < 0.001). Male pups were heavier than females in the HFD (0.99 ± 0.05 vs. 0.94 ± 0.06 g, p = 0.004) but not CD (0.87 ± 0.08 vs. 0.83 ± 0.07 g, p = 0.10) group. No sex-based differences in placental gene expression in CD-fed dams were observed. Among HFD-fed dams, placentas from female pups exhibited upregulation of 15 genes (q = 0.01). Network analyses identified a cluster of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, cellular function and maintenance, and endocrine system development and function (p = 1 × 10-23). The observed female-specific increased gene expression following in utero HFD exposure was predicted to be regulated by insulin (p = 5.79 × 10-13). CONCLUSION In female compared with male pups, in utero exposure to HFD upregulated placental gene expression in 15 genes predicted to be regulated by insulin. Sex-specific differences in placental expression of these genes should be further investigated. KEY POINTS · Male pups were heavier than female pups at the time of sacrifice when dams were fed an HFD.. · HFD was associated with upregulated gene expression in female placentas.. · Female-specific increased gene was predicted to be regulated by insulin..
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R. Grace
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Neeta L. Vora
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Lisa Smeester
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Sarah K. Dotters-Katz
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Rebecca C. Fry
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Victoria Bae-Jump
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, North Carolina
| | - Kim Boggess
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Gan H, Xing Y, Tong J, Lu M, Yan S, Huang K, Wu X, Tao S, Gao H, Pan Y, Dai J, Tao F. Impact of Gestational Exposure to Individual and Combined Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances on a Placental Structure and Efficiency: Findings from the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:6117-6127. [PMID: 38525964 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) is inevitable among pregnant women. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of research investigating the connections between prenatal PFAS exposure and the placental structure and efficiency. Based on 712 maternal-fetal dyads in the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort, we analyzed associations between individual and mixed PFAS exposure and placental measures. We repeatedly measured 12 PFAS in the maternal serum during pregnancy. Placental weight, scaling exponent, chorionic disc area, and disc eccentricity were used as the outcome variables. Upon adjusting for confounders and implementing corrections for multiple comparisons, we identified positive associations between branched perfluorohexane sulfonate (br-PFHxS) and 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (6:2 Cl-PFESA) with placental weight. Additionally, a positive association was observed between br-PFHxS and the scaling exponent, where a higher scaling exponent signified reduced placental efficiency. Based on neonatal sex stratification, female infants were found to be more susceptible to the adverse effects of PFAS exposure. Mixed exposure modeling revealed that mixed PFAS exposure was positively associated with placental weight and scaling exponent, particularly during the second and third trimesters. Furthermore, br-PFHxS and 6:2 Cl-PFESA played major roles in the placental measures. This study provides the first epidemiological evidence of the relationship between prenatal PFAS exposure and placental measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Gan
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
| | - Yanan Xing
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Juan Tong
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
| | - Mengjuan Lu
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
| | - Shuangqin Yan
- Ma'anshan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Ma'anshan 243011 Anhui, China
| | - Kun Huang
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wu
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
| | - Shuman Tao
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China
| | - Hui Gao
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022 Anhui, China
| | - Yitao Pan
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jiayin Dai
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Fangbiao Tao
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032 Anhui, China
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Schavinski AZ, Reis NG, Morgan HJN, Assis AP, Moro ML, Valentim RR, Seni-Silva AC, Ramos ES, Kettelhut IC, Navegantes LCC. Maternal Vitamin D Deficiency Impairs the Development of β Cells in Offspring Rats in a Sex-Dependent Manner. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4136. [PMID: 38673723 PMCID: PMC11050228 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084136] [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: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that maternal vitamin D deficiency (VDD) causes long-term metabolic changes in offspring. However, little is known about the impact of maternal VDD on offspring endocrine pancreas development and insulin secretion in the adult life of male and female animals. Female rats (Wistar Hannover) were fed either control (1000 IU Vitamin D3/kg), VDD (0 IU Vitamin D3/kg), or a Ca2+-enriched VDD diet (0 IU Vitamin D3/kg + Ca2+ and P/kg) for 6 weeks and during gestation and lactation. At weaning, VDD status was confirmed based on low serum calcidiol levels in dams and pups. Next, male and female offspring were randomly separated and fed a standard diet for up to 90 days. At this age, serum calcidiol levels were restored to normal levels in all groups, but serum insulin levels were decreased in VDD males without affecting glucagon levels, glycemia, or glucose tolerance. Islets isolated from VDD males showed lower insulin secretion in response to different glucose concentrations, but this effect was not observed in VDD females. Furthermore, VDD males, but not females, showed a smaller total pancreatic islet area and lower β cell mass, an effect that was accompanied by reduced gene expression of Ins1, Ins2, Pdx1, and SLC2A2. The decrease in Pdx1 expression was not related to the methylation profile of the promoter region of this gene. Most of these effects were observed in the male VDD+Ca2+ group, indicating that the effects were not due to alterations in Ca2+ metabolism. These data show that maternal VDD selectively impairs the morphology and function of β cells in adult male offspring rats and that female offspring are fully protected from these deleterious effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Z. Schavinski
- Department of Physiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (A.Z.S.); (N.G.R.); (H.J.N.M.); (M.L.M.); (R.R.V.)
| | - Natany G. Reis
- Department of Physiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (A.Z.S.); (N.G.R.); (H.J.N.M.); (M.L.M.); (R.R.V.)
| | - Henrique J. N. Morgan
- Department of Physiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (A.Z.S.); (N.G.R.); (H.J.N.M.); (M.L.M.); (R.R.V.)
| | - Ana Paula Assis
- Department of Biochemistry/Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (A.P.A.); (I.C.K.)
| | - Matheus L. Moro
- Department of Physiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (A.Z.S.); (N.G.R.); (H.J.N.M.); (M.L.M.); (R.R.V.)
| | - Rafael R. Valentim
- Department of Physiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (A.Z.S.); (N.G.R.); (H.J.N.M.); (M.L.M.); (R.R.V.)
| | - Ana Carolina Seni-Silva
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (A.C.S.-S.); (E.S.R.)
| | - Ester S. Ramos
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (A.C.S.-S.); (E.S.R.)
| | - Isis C. Kettelhut
- Department of Biochemistry/Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (A.P.A.); (I.C.K.)
| | - Luiz C. C. Navegantes
- Department of Physiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (A.Z.S.); (N.G.R.); (H.J.N.M.); (M.L.M.); (R.R.V.)
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12
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Cai FS, Tang B, Zheng J, Yan X, Ding XF, Liao QL, Luo XJ, Ren MZ, Yu YJ, Mai BX. First Insight into Fetal Exposure to Legacy and Emerging Plasticizers Revealed by Infant Hair and Meconium: Occurrence, Biotransformation, and Accumulation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:5739-5749. [PMID: 38456395 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c11032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have demonstrated the embryonic and developmental toxicity of plasticizers. Thus, understanding the in utero biotransformation and accumulation of plasticizers is essential to assessing their fate and potential toxicity in early life. In the present study, 311 infant hair samples and 271 paired meconium samples were collected at birth in Guangzhou, China, to characterize fetal exposure to legacy and emerging plasticizers and their metabolites. Results showed that most of the target plasticizers were detected in infant hair, with medians of 9.30, 27.6, and 0.145 ng/g for phthalate esters (PAEs), organic phosphate ester (OPEs), and alternative plasticizers (APs), and 1.44, 0.313, and 0.066 ng/g for the metabolites of PAEs, OPEs, and APs, respectively. Positive correlations between plasticizers and their corresponding primary metabolites, as well as correlations among the oxidative metabolites of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and 1,2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester (DINCH), were observed, indicating that infant hair retained the major phase-I metabolism of the target plasticizers. While no positive correlations were found in parent compounds or their primary metabolites between paired infant hair and meconium, significant positive correlations were observed among secondary oxidative metabolites of DEHP and DINCH in hair and meconium, suggesting that the primary metabolites in meconium come from hydrolysis of plasticizers in the fetus but most of the oxidative metabolites come from maternal-fetal transmission. The parent compound/metabolite ratios in infant hair showed a decreasing trend across pregnancy, suggesting in utero accumulation and deposition of plasticizers. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report in utero exposure to both parent compounds and metabolites of plasticizers by using paired infant hair and meconium as noninvasive biomonitoring matrices and provides novel insights into the fetal biotransformation and accumulation of plasticizers across pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Shan Cai
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, Research Center of Emerging Contaminants, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, P. R. China
| | - Bin Tang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, Research Center of Emerging Contaminants, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, P. R. China
| | - Jing Zheng
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, Research Center of Emerging Contaminants, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, P. R. China
- School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Disease Monitoring of Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550000, P. R. China
| | - Xiao Yan
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, Research Center of Emerging Contaminants, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, P. R. China
- School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Disease Monitoring of Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550000, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Fan Ding
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Building E12, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau 999078, P. R. China
| | - Qi-Long Liao
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, Research Center of Emerging Contaminants, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Jun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
| | - Ming-Zhong Ren
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, Research Center of Emerging Contaminants, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, P. R. China
| | - Yun-Jiang Yu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, Research Center of Emerging Contaminants, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, P. R. China
| | - Bi-Xian Mai
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
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13
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Schroeder M, Fuenzalida B, Yi N, Shahnawaz S, Gertsch J, Pellegata D, Ontsouka E, Leiva A, Gutiérrez J, Müller M, Brocco MA, Albrecht C. LAT1-dependent placental methionine uptake is a key player in fetal programming of metabolic disease. Metabolism 2024; 153:155793. [PMID: 38295946 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2024.155793] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis sustains that exposure to different stressors during prenatal development prepares the offspring for the challenges to be encountered after birth. We studied the gestational period as a particularly vulnerable window where different stressors can have strong implications for fetal programming of the offspring's life-long metabolic status via alterations of specific placentally expressed nutrient transporters. To study this mechanism, we used a murine prenatal stress model, human preeclampsia, early miscarriage, and healthy placental tissue samples, in addition to in vitro models of placental cells. In stressed mice, placental overexpression of L-type amino acid transporter 1 (Lat1) and subsequent global placental DNA hypermethylation was accompanied by fetal and adult hypothalamic dysregulation in global DNA methylation and gene expression as well as long-term metabolic abnormalities exclusively in female offspring. In human preeclampsia, early miscarriage, and under hypoxic conditions, placental LAT1 was significantly upregulated, leading to increased methionine uptake and global DNA hypermethylation. Remarkably, subgroups of healthy term placentas with high expression of stress-related genes presented increased levels of placental LAT1 mRNA and protein, DNA and RNA hypermethylation, increased methionine uptake capacity, one-carbon metabolic pathway disruption, higher methionine concentration in the placenta and transport to the fetus specifically in females. Since LAT1 mediates the intracellular accumulation of methionine, global DNA methylation, and one-carbon metabolism in the placenta, our findings hint at a major sex-specific global response to a variety of prenatal stressors affecting placental function, epigenetic programming, and life-long metabolic disease and provide a much-needed insight into early-life factors predisposing females/women to metabolic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Schroeder
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Barbara Fuenzalida
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Nan Yi
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Saira Shahnawaz
- Department of Biochemistry, Sargodha Medical College, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan; Department of Allied Health Sciences, Sargodha Medical College, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Jürg Gertsch
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Daniele Pellegata
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Edgar Ontsouka
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Leiva
- Faculty of Medicine and Science, Universidad of San Sebastian, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jaime Gutiérrez
- Faculty of Medicine and Science, Universidad of San Sebastian, Santiago, Chile
| | - Martin Müller
- Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Lindenhofgruppe, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marcela A Brocco
- Institute of Biotechnological Research, University of San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Christiane Albrecht
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research, NCCR TransCure, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Hundscheid TM, Gulden S, Almutairi MF, Bartoš F, Cavallaro G, Villamor E. Sex differences in the risk of retinopathy of prematurity: a systematic review, frequentist and Bayesian meta-analysis, and meta-regression. World J Pediatr 2024; 20:340-352. [PMID: 38010442 PMCID: PMC11052874 DOI: 10.1007/s12519-023-00775-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is generally considered to be more frequent in males than in females. However, it is not known whether sex differences in ROP affect all degrees of the condition, are global and have changed as neonatology has developed. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies addressing sex differences in the risk of developing ROP. METHODS PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched. The frequentist, random-effects risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Bayesian model averaged (BMA) meta-analysis was used to calculate the Bayes factors (BFs). The BF10 is the ratio of the probability of the data under the alternative hypothesis (H1) over the probability of the data under the null hypothesis (H0). RESULTS We included 205 studies (867,252 infants). Frequentist meta-analysis showed a positive association between male sex and severe ROP (113 studies, RR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.07-1.22) but no association with any ROP (144 studies, RR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.96-1.03). BMA showed extreme evidence in favor of H1 for severe ROP (BF10 = 71,174) and strong evidence in favor of H0 for any ROP (BF10 = 0.05). The association between male sex and severe ROP remained stable over time and was present only in cohorts from countries with a high or high-middle sociodemographic index. CONCLUSIONS Our study confirms the presence of a male disadvantage in severe ROP but not in less severe forms of the disease. There are variations in the sex differences in ROP, depending on geographical location and sociodemographic level of the countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara M Hundscheid
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, MosaKids Children's Hospital, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), School for Oncology and Reproduction (GROW), Maastricht University, P. Debyelaan 25. P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Silvia Gulden
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Sant'Anna Hospital, Como, Italy
| | - Mohamad F Almutairi
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, MosaKids Children's Hospital, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), School for Oncology and Reproduction (GROW), Maastricht University, P. Debyelaan 25. P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - František Bartoš
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, 1001 NK, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Giacomo Cavallaro
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Eduardo Villamor
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, MosaKids Children's Hospital, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), School for Oncology and Reproduction (GROW), Maastricht University, P. Debyelaan 25. P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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15
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Song W, Guo Q, Puttabyatappa M, Elangovan VR, Wang J, Li F, Liu F, Bi X, Li H, Fu G, Padmanabhan V, Wu X. FGR-associated placental insufficiency and capillary angiogenesis involves disruptions in human placental miRNAs and mRNAs. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28007. [PMID: 38509973 PMCID: PMC10951647 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is one of the most common pregnancy complications culminating in adverse fetal outcome, including preterm birth, neonatal mortality and stillbirth. Compromised placental development and function, especially disruption in angiogenesis and inadequate nutrient supply are contributing factors. Fetal sex also influences placental function. Knowledge of gene expression changes and epigenetic factors contributing to placental dysfunction in FGR pregnancies will help identify biomarkers and help target interventions. This study tested the hypothesis that FGR pregnancies are associated with disruptions in miRNA - an epigenetic factor and mRNAs involving key mediators of angiogenesis and microvessel development. Changes in expression of key genes/proteins involved in placental dysfunction by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry and miRNA changes by RNA sequencing were undertaken with term placenta from 12 control and 20 FGR pregnancies. Findings showed changes in expression of genes involved in steroidogenesis, steroid action, IGF family members, inflammatory cytokines and angiogenic factors in FGR pregnancies. In addition, upregulation of MIR451A and downregulation of MIR543 in placentas from FGR group with female newborns and upregulation of MIR520G in placentas from FGR group with male newborns were also noted. MIR451A and MIR543 have been implicated in angiogenesis. Consistent with gene changes, CD34, the microvessel angiogenesis marker, also showed reduced staining only in female FGR group. These findings provide evidence that epigentically regulated gene expression changes in angiogenesis and capillary development influence placental impairment in FGR pregnancies. Our preliminary observations also support for these changes to be driven in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhui Song
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, PR China
- The Fourth Hospital of Shijiazhuang affiliated to Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, PR China
| | - Qing Guo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, PR China
- The Fourth Hospital of Shijiazhuang affiliated to Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, PR China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, PR China
| | | | | | - Jianping Wang
- The Fourth Hospital of Shijiazhuang affiliated to Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, PR China
| | - Fang Li
- The Fourth Hospital of Shijiazhuang affiliated to Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, PR China
| | - Fangfang Liu
- The Fourth Hospital of Shijiazhuang affiliated to Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, PR China
| | - Xuejie Bi
- The Fourth Hospital of Shijiazhuang affiliated to Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, PR China
| | - Haiying Li
- The Fourth Hospital of Shijiazhuang affiliated to Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, PR China
| | - Guangping Fu
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, College for Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, PR China
| | | | - XiaoHua Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, PR China
- The Fourth Hospital of Shijiazhuang affiliated to Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, PR China
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16
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Chen E, da Cruz RS, Nascimento A, Joshi M, Pereira DG, Dominguez O, Fernandes G, Smith M, Paiva SPC, de Assis S. Paternal DDT exposure induces sex-specific programming of fetal growth, placenta development and offspring's health phenotypes in a mouse model. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7567. [PMID: 38555297 PMCID: PMC10981700 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58176-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that environmentally induced epigenetic inheritance occurs in mammals and that traits in the progeny can be shaped by parental environmental experiences. Epidemiological studies link parental exposure to environmental toxicants, such as the pesticide DDT, to health phenotypes in the progeny, including low birth and increased risk of chronic diseases later in life. Here, we show that the progeny of male mice exposed to DDT in the pre-conception period are born smaller and exhibit sexual dimorphism in metabolic function, with male, but not female, offspring developing severe glucose intolerance compared to controls. These phenotypes in DDT offspring were linked to reduced fetal growth and placenta size as well as placenta-specific reduction of glycogen levels and the nutrient sensor and epigenetic regulator OGT, with more pronounced phenotypes observed in male placentas. However, placenta-specific genetic reduction of OGT only partially replicates the metabolic phenotype observed in offspring of DDT-exposed males. Our findings reveal a role for paternal pre-conception environmental experiences in shaping placenta development and in fetal growth restriction. While many questions remain, our data raise the tantalizing possibility that placenta programming could be a mediator of environmentally induced intergenerational epigenetic inheritance of phenotypes and needs to be further evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Chen
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Raquel Santana da Cruz
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Aallya Nascimento
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Meghali Joshi
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Duane Gischewski Pereira
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Odalys Dominguez
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Gabriela Fernandes
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Megan Smith
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Sara P C Paiva
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Sonia de Assis
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057, USA.
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17
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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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18
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Hodge KM, Zhabotynsky V, Burt AA, Carter BS, Fry RC, Helderman J, Hofheimer JA, McGowan EC, Neal CR, Pastyrnak SL, Smith LM, DellaGrotta SA, Dansereau LM, Lester BM, Marsit CJ, O'Shea TM, Everson TM. Epigenetic associations in HPA axis genes related to bronchopulmonary dysplasia and antenatal steroids. Pediatr Res 2024:10.1038/s41390-024-03116-4. [PMID: 38480856 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-024-03116-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a common morbidity among very preterm infants, is associated with chronic disease and neurodevelopmental impairments. A hypothesized mechanism for these outcomes lies in altered glucocorticoid (GC) activity. We hypothesized that BPD and its treatments may result in epigenetic differences in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is modulated by GC, and could be ascertained using an established GC risk score and DNA methylation (DNAm) of HPA axis genes. METHODS DNAm was quantified from buccal tissue (ECHO-NOVI) and from neonatal blood spots (ELGAN ECHO) via the EPIC microarray. Prenatal maternal characteristics, pregnancy complication, and neonatal medical complication data were collected from medical record review and maternal interviews. RESULTS The GC score was not associated with steroid exposure or BPD. However, six HPA genes involved in stress response regulation demonstrated differential methylation with antenatal steroid exposure; two CpGs within FKBP5 and POMC were differentially methylated with BPD severity. These findings were sex-specific in both cohorts; males had greater magnitude of differential methylation within these genes. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that BPD severity and antenatal steroids are associated with DNAm at some HPA genes in very preterm infants and the effects appear to be sex-, tissue-, and age-specific. IMPACT This study addresses bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), an important health outcome among preterm neonates, and interrogates a commonly studied pathway, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The combination of BPD, the HPA axis, and epigenetic markers has not been previously reported. In this study, we found that BPD itself was not associated with epigenetic responses in the HPA axis in infants born very preterm; however, antenatal treatment with steroids was associated with epigenetic responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenyaita M Hodge
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Vasyl Zhabotynsky
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Amber A Burt
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Brian S Carter
- Department of Pediatrics-Neonatology, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jennifer Helderman
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Julie A Hofheimer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Elisabeth C McGowan
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Charles R Neal
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Steven L Pastyrnak
- Department of Pediatrics, Spectrum Health-Helen Devos Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Lynne M Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Sheri A DellaGrotta
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Lynne M Dansereau
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Barry M Lester
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - T Michael O'Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Todd M Everson
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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19
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Ou K, Zhang Q, Xi F, Ni H, Lu J, Lyu X, Wang C, Li Q, Wang Q. Prenatal EGCG consumption impacts hepatic glycogen synthesis and lipid metabolism in adult mice. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 260:129491. [PMID: 38228202 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129491] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
In this study, the impact of prenatal exposure to Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on the liver of adult offspring mice was investigated. While EGCG is known for its health benefits, its effects of prenatal exposure on the liver remain unclear. Pregnant C57BL/6 J mice were exposed to 1 mg/kg of EGCG for 16 days to assess hepatotoxicity effects of adult offspring. Transcriptomics and metabolomics were employed to elucidate the hepatotoxicity mechanisms. The findings revealed that prenatal EGCG exposure led to a decrease in liver somatic index, enhanced inflammatory responses and disrupted liver function through increased glycogen accumulation in adult mice. The integrated omics analysis revealed significant alterations in key pathways involved in liver glucose lipid metabolism, such as gluconeogenesis, dysregulation of insulin signaling, and induction of liver inflammation. Furthermore, the study found a negative correlation between the promoter methylation levels of Ppara and their mRNA levels, suggesting that EGCG could reduce hepatic lipid content through epigenetic modifications. The findings suggest that prenatal EGCG exposure can have detrimental impacts on the liver among adult individuals and emphasize the need for a comprehensive evaluation of the potential risks associated with EGCG consumption during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunlin Ou
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, PR China
| | - Quan Zhang
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, PR China; National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Feifei Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, PR China
| | - Huizhen Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, PR China
| | - Jiebo Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, PR China
| | - Xuejing Lyu
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, PR China
| | - Chonggang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, PR China
| | - Qiyuan Li
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, PR China; National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361003, China.
| | - Qin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, PR China.
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20
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Lu X, Chen B, Xu D, Hu W, Wang X, Dai Y, Wang Q, Peng Y, Chen K, Zhao D, Wang H. Epigenetic programming mediates abnormal gut microbiota and disease susceptibility in offspring with prenatal dexamethasone exposure. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101398. [PMID: 38301654 PMCID: PMC10897547 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101398] [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: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal dexamethasone exposure (PDE) can lead to increased susceptibility to various diseases in adult offspring, but its effect on gut microbiota composition and the relationship with disease susceptibility remains unclear. In this study, we find sex-differential changes in the gut microbiota of 6-month-old infants with prenatal dexamethasone therapy (PDT) that persisted in female infants up to 2.5 years of age with altered bile acid metabolism. PDE female offspring rats show abnormal colonization and composition of gut microbiota and increased susceptibility to cholestatic liver injury. The aberrant gut microbiota colonization in the PDE offspring can be attributed to the inhibited Muc2 expression caused by decreased CDX2 expression before and after birth. Integrating animal and cell experiments, we further confirm that dexamethasone could inhibit Muc2 expression by activating GR/HDAC11 signaling and regulating CDX2 epigenetic modification. This study interprets abnormal gut microbiota and disease susceptibility in PDT offspring from intrauterine intestinal dysplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqian Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Beidi Chen
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Dan Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Wen Hu
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Diseases, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xia Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Digital Health, and Data Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yongguo Dai
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yu Peng
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Kaiqi Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Dongchi Zhao
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Diseases, Wuhan 430071, China; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Digital Health, and Data Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Diseases, Wuhan 430071, China.
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21
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Qiu F, Zhang H, Cui Y, Zhang L, Zhou W, Huang M, Xia W, Xu S, Li Y. Associations of maternal urinary rare earth elements individually and in mixtures with neonatal size at birth. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 343:123163. [PMID: 38104763 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123163] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal rare earth elements (REEs) exposure is linked to unfavorable health consequences. Epidemiologic research on repeated measurements of REEs during gestation correlated with fetal growth is exiguous. Until now, few studies have characterized exposure characteristics of REEs in pregnant women. We aimed to ascertain the characteristics and predictors of REEs exposure over three trimesters among pregnant women and examine the possible effects of prenatal REEs exposure on size at birth. Urinary REEs concentrations exhibited considerable within-subject variation with intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.16 to 0.58. Maternal age, household income, gestational weight gain, passive smoking during pregnancy, parity, and neonatal gender were associated with maternal urinary REEs concentrations. Elevated maternal urinary holmium and thulium concentrations in the 3rd trimester were significantly related to reductions in birth weight. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression model identified that urinary REEs mixture in the 3rd trimester were negatively related to birth weight (WQSREEs β = -26.22; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -47.62, -4.82), with holmium (40%) and thulium (24%) receiving the highest weights. Male infants received the most weight (>50%) related to decreased birth weight. This study revealed a significant association between individual and mixture REE exposure in late pregnancy with a reduction in birth weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongling Zhang
- Wuchang University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Cui
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Liping Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Wensi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Huang
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Xia
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Shunqing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
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22
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Hercus JC, Metcalfe KX, Christians JK. Sex differences in growth and mortality in pregnancy-associated hypertension. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296853. [PMID: 38206980 PMCID: PMC10783718 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is hypothesized that male fetuses prioritize growth, resulting in increased mortality, whereas females reduce growth in the presence of adversity. Preeclampsia reflects a chronic condition, in which fetuses have the opportunity to adjust growth. If females reduce their growth in response to preeclampsia, but males attempt to maintain growth at the cost of survival, we predict that differences in birthweight between preeclamptic and non-preeclamptic pregnancies will be greater among females, whereas differences in mortality will be greater among males. METHODS We analysed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We compared pregnancies with pregnancy-associated hypertension (PAH) and controls. RESULTS The difference in birthweight between pregnancies affected by PAH and controls varied by fetal sex and gestational age. Among pregnancies of White individuals, at 34-35 weeks, the difference between PAH and controls was higher among females, as predicted. However, this pattern was reversed earlier in pregnancy and around term. Such variation was not significant in Black pregnancies. In both Black and White pregnancies, early in gestation, males had lower odds of death in PAH pregnancies, but higher odds of death in control pregnancies, counter to our prediction. Later, males had higher odds of death in PAH and controls, although the increased odds of death in males was not higher in PAH pregnancies than in controls. Overall, the difference in birthweight between surviving and non-surviving infants was greater in males than in females, opposite to our prediction. CONCLUSIONS The impact of PAH on birthweight and survival varies widely throughout gestation. Differences in birthweight and survival between male and female PAH and controls are generally not consistent with the hypothesis that males prioritize fetal growth more than females, and that this is a cause of increased mortality in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jess C. Hercus
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Katherine X. Metcalfe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Julian K. Christians
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Women’s Health Research Institute, BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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23
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Legault LM, Breton-Larrivée M, Langford-Avelar A, Lemieux A, McGraw S. Sex-based disparities in DNA methylation and gene expression in late-gestation mouse placentas. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:2. [PMID: 38183126 PMCID: PMC10770955 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00577-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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The placenta is vital for fetal development and its contributions to various developmental issues, such as pregnancy complications, fetal growth restriction, and maternal exposure, have been extensively studied in mice. The placenta forms mainly from fetal tissue and therefore has the same biological sex as the fetus it supports. Extensive research has delved into the placenta's involvement in pregnancy complications and future offspring development, with a notable emphasis on exploring sex-specific disparities. However, despite these investigations, sex-based disparities in epigenetic (e.g., DNA methylation) and transcriptomic features of the late-gestation mouse placenta remain largely unknown. METHODS We collected male and female mouse placentas at late gestation (E18.5, n = 3/sex) and performed next-generation sequencing to identify genome-wide sex differences in transcription and DNA methylation. RESULTS Our comparison between male and female revealed 358 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) on autosomes, which were associated with signaling pathways involved in transmembrane transport and the responses to viruses and external stimuli. X chromosome DEGs (n = 39) were associated with different pathways, including those regulating chromatin modification and small GTPase-mediated signal transduction. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were more common on the X chromosomes (n = 3756) than on autosomes (n = 1705). Interestingly, while most X chromosome DMRs had higher DNA methylation levels in female placentas and tended to be included in CpG dinucleotide-rich regions, 73% of autosomal DMRs had higher methylation levels in male placentas and were distant from CpG-rich regions. Several DEGs were correlated with DMRs. A subset of the DMRs present in late-stage placentas were already established in mid-gestation (E10.5) placentas (n = 348 DMRs on X chromosome and 19 DMRs on autosomes), while others were acquired later in placental development. CONCLUSION Our study provides comprehensive lists of DEGs and DMRs between male and female that collectively cause profound differences in the DNA methylation and gene expression profiles of late-gestation mouse placentas. Our results demonstrate the importance of incorporating sex-specific analyses into epigenetic and transcription studies to enhance the accuracy and comprehensiveness of their conclusions and help address the significant knowledge gap regarding how sex differences influence placental function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa-Marie Legault
- CHU Ste-Justine Research Center, 3175 Chemin de La Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC, H3T 1C5, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Edouard‑Montpetit, Montréal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Mélanie Breton-Larrivée
- CHU Ste-Justine Research Center, 3175 Chemin de La Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC, H3T 1C5, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Edouard‑Montpetit, Montréal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Alexandra Langford-Avelar
- CHU Ste-Justine Research Center, 3175 Chemin de La Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC, H3T 1C5, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Edouard‑Montpetit, Montréal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Anthony Lemieux
- CHU Ste-Justine Research Center, 3175 Chemin de La Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC, H3T 1C5, Canada
| | - Serge McGraw
- CHU Ste-Justine Research Center, 3175 Chemin de La Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC, H3T 1C5, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Edouard‑Montpetit, Montréal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Edouard‑Montpetit, Montréal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada.
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Saeed H, Wu J, Tesfaye M, Grantz KL, Tekola-Ayele F. Placental accelerated aging in antenatal depression. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2024; 6:101237. [PMID: 38012987 PMCID: PMC10843762 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2023.101237] [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: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antenatal maternal depression is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes and long-term effects on the offspring. Previous studies have identified links between antenatal depression and placental DNA methylation and between placental epigenetic aging and poor pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm labor and preeclampsia. The relationship between antenatal depression and poor pregnancy outcomes may be partly mediated via placental aging. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate whether antenatal depressive symptoms are associated with placental epigenetic age acceleration, an epigenetic aging clock measure derived from the difference between methylation age and gestational age at delivery. STUDY DESIGN The study included 301 women who provided placenta samples at delivery as part of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Fetal Growth Studies - Singletons that recruited participants from diverse race and ethnic groups at 12 US clinical sites (2009-2013). Women underwent depression screening using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale up to 6 times across the 3 trimesters of pregnancy. Depressive symptoms status was determined for each pregnancy trimester using an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score, in which a score of ≥10 was defined as having depressive symptoms and a score of <10 was defined as not having depressive symptoms. Placental DNA methylation was profiled from placenta samples. Placental epigenetic age was estimated using a methylation-based age estimator (placental "epigenetic clock") that has previously been found to have high placental gestational age prediction accuracy for uncomplicated term pregnancies. Placental age acceleration was defined to be the residual upon regressing the estimated epigenetic age on gestational age at delivery. Associations between an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of ≥10 and an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of <10 in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy (ie, depressive symptoms vs none in each trimester) and placental age acceleration were tested using multivariable linear regression adjusting for maternal age, parity, race and ethnicity, and employment. RESULTS There were 31 (10.3%), 48 (16%), and 49 (16.4%) women with depressive symptoms (ie, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of ≥10) in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy, respectively. Of these women, 21 (7.2%) had sustained first- and second-trimester depressive symptoms, 19 (7%) had sustained second- and third-trimester depressive symptoms, and 12 (4.8%) had sustained depressive symptoms throughout pregnancy. Women with depressive symptoms in the second trimester of pregnancy had 0.41 weeks higher placental age acceleration than women without depressive symptoms during the second trimester of pregnancy (β=0.21 weeks [95% confidence interval, -0.17 to 0.58; P=.28] during the first trimester of pregnancy; β=0.41 weeks [95% confidence interval, 0.10-0.71; P=.009] during the second trimester of pregnancy; β=0.17 weeks [95% confidence interval, -0.14 to 0.47; P=.29] during the third trimester of pregnancy). Sustained first- and second-trimester depressive symptoms were associated with 0.72 weeks higher placental age acceleration (95% confidence interval, 0.29-1.15; P=.001) than no depressive symptom in the 2 trimesters. The association between second-trimester depressive symptoms and higher placental epigenetic age acceleration strengthened in the analysis of pregnancies with male fetuses (β=0.53 weeks; 95% confidence interval, 0.06-1.08; P=.03) but was not significant in pregnancies with female fetuses. CONCLUSION Antenatal depressive symptoms during the second trimester of pregnancy were associated with an average of 0.41 weeks of increased placental age acceleration. Accelerated placental aging may play an important role in the underlying mechanism linking antenatal depression to pregnancy complications related to placental dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haleema Saeed
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (Dr Saeed); Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Medstar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC (Drs Saeed)
| | - Jing Wu
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (Drs Wu, Grantz, and Tekola-Ayele)
| | - Markos Tesfaye
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (Dr Tesfaye); Department of Psychiatry, St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Dr Tesfaye)
| | - Katherine L Grantz
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (Drs Wu, Grantz, and Tekola-Ayele)
| | - Fasil Tekola-Ayele
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (Drs Wu, Grantz, and Tekola-Ayele).
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25
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Barrett ES, Day DB, Szpiro A, Peng J, Loftus CT, Ziausyte U, Kannan K, Trasande L, Zhao Q, Nguyen RHN, Swan S, Karr CJ, LeWinn KZ, Sathyanarayana S, Bush NR. Prenatal exposures to phthalates and life events stressors in relation to child behavior at age 4-6: A combined cohort analysis. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 183:108425. [PMID: 38199129 PMCID: PMC10863744 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal exposures to chemical and psychosocial stressors can impact the developing brain, but few studies have examined their joint effects. We examined associations between prenatal phthalate exposures and child behavior, hypothesizing that prenatal stressful life events (PSLEs) may exacerbate risks. To do so, we harmonized data from three U.S. pregnancy cohorts comprising the ECHO-PATHWAYS consortium. Phthalate metabolites were measured in single mid-pregnancy urine samples. When children were ages 4-6 years, mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), from which a Total Problems score was calculated. Mothers additionally provided recall on their exposure to 14 PSLEs during pregnancy. Primary models examined problem behaviors in relation to: (1) phthalate mixtures calculated through weighted quantile sums regression with permutation test-derived p-values; and (2) joint exposure to phthalate mixtures and PSLEs (counts) using interaction terms. We subsequently refitted models stratified by child sex. Secondarily, we fit linear and logistic regression models examining individual phthalate metabolites. In our main, fully adjusted models (n = 1536 mother-child dyads), we observed some evidence of weak main effects of phthalate mixtures on problem behaviors in the full cohort and stratified by child sex. Interaction models revealed unexpected relationships whereby greater gestational exposure to PSLEs predicted reduced associations between some phthalates (e.g., the metabolites of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, di-n-octyl phthalate, di-iso-nonyl phthalate) and problem behaviors, particularly in males. Few associations were observed in females. Additional research is needed to replicate results and examine potential mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Barrett
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| | - Drew B Day
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Adam Szpiro
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - James Peng
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Christine T Loftus
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Ugne Ziausyte
- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | | | - Leonardo Trasande
- Department of Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Qi Zhao
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Ruby H N Nguyen
- Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA
| | - Shanna Swan
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Catherine J Karr
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - Kaja Z LeWinn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - Nicole R Bush
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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26
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Oh J, Buckley JP, Li X, Gachigi KK, Kannan K, Lyu W, Ames JL, Barrett ES, Bastain TM, Breton CV, Buss C, Croen LA, Dunlop AL, Ferrara A, Ghassabian A, Herbstman JB, Hernandez-Castro I, Hertz-Picciotto I, Kahn LG, Karagas MR, Kuiper JR, McEvoy CT, Meeker JD, Morello-Frosch R, Padula AM, Romano ME, Sathyanarayana S, Schantz S, Schmidt RJ, Simhan H, Starling AP, Tylavsky FA, Volk HE, Woodruff TJ, Zhu Y, Bennett DH. Associations of Organophosphate Ester Flame Retardant Exposures during Pregnancy with Gestational Duration and Fetal Growth: The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:17004. [PMID: 38262621 PMCID: PMC10805613 DOI: 10.1289/ehp13182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Widespread exposure to organophosphate ester (OPE) flame retardants with potential reproductive toxicity raises concern regarding the impacts of gestational exposure on birth outcomes. Previous studies of prenatal OPE exposure and birth outcomes had limited sample sizes, with inconclusive results. OBJECTIVES We conducted a collaborative analysis of associations between gestational OPE exposures and adverse birth outcomes and tested whether associations were modified by sex. METHODS We included 6,646 pregnant participants from 16 cohorts in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. Nine OPE biomarkers were quantified in maternal urine samples collected primarily during the second and third trimester and modeled as log 2 -transformed continuous, categorized (high/low/nondetect), or dichotomous (detect/nondetect) variables depending on detection frequency. We used covariate-adjusted linear, logistic, and multinomial regression with generalized estimating equations, accounting for cohort-level clustering, to estimate associations of OPE biomarkers with gestational length and birth weight outcomes. Secondarily, we assessed effect modification by sex. RESULTS Three OPE biomarkers [diphenyl phosphate (DPHP), a composite of dibutyl phosphate and di-isobutyl phosphate (DBUP/DIBP), and bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate] were detected in > 85 % of participants. In adjusted models, DBUP/DIBP [odds ratio (OR) per doubling = 1.07 ; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02, 1.12] and bis(butoxyethyl) phosphate (OR for high vs. nondetect = 1.25 ; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.46), but not other OPE biomarkers, were associated with higher odds of preterm birth. We observed effect modification by sex for associations of DPHP and high bis(2-chloroethyl) phosphate with completed gestational weeks and odds of preterm birth, with adverse associations among females. In addition, newborns of mothers with detectable bis(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate, bis(2-methylphenyl) phosphate, and dipropyl phosphate had higher birth weight-for-gestational-age z -scores (β for detect vs. nondetect = 0.04 - 0.07 ); other chemicals showed null associations. DISCUSSION In the largest study to date, we find gestational exposures to several OPEs are associated with earlier timing of birth, especially among female neonates, or with greater fetal growth. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13182.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwon Oh
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis (UC-Davis), Davis, California, USA
| | - Jessie P. Buckley
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill), Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Xuan Li
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kennedy K. Gachigi
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Wadsworth Center, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Wenjie Lyu
- Department of Pediatrics, New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jennifer L. Ames
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Emily S. Barrett
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Theresa M. Bastain
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Carrie V. Breton
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Claudia Buss
- Department of Medical Psychology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics, UC-Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, California, USA
| | - Lisa A. Croen
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Anne L. Dunlop
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Assiamira Ferrara
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Akhgar Ghassabian
- Department of Pediatrics, New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Julie B. Herbstman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ixel Hernandez-Castro
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis (UC-Davis), Davis, California, USA
- Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, UC-Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Linda G. Kahn
- Department of Pediatrics, New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Margaret R. Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Jordan R. Kuiper
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Cindy T. McEvoy
- Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - John D. Meeker
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management and School of Public Health, UC-Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Amy M. Padula
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Megan E. Romano
- Department of Epidemiology, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Susan Schantz
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Rebecca J. Schmidt
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis (UC-Davis), Davis, California, USA
- Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, UC-Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Hyagriv Simhan
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Anne P. Starling
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Frances A. Tylavsky
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Heather E. Volk
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tracey J. Woodruff
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Yeyi Zhu
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Deborah H. Bennett
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis (UC-Davis), Davis, California, USA
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27
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Islam M, Behura SK. Role of paralogs in the sex-bias transcriptional and metabolic regulation of the brain-placental axis in mice. Placenta 2024; 145:143-150. [PMID: 38134547 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2023.12.019] [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: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Duplicated genes or paralogs play important roles in the adaptive function of eukaryotic genomes. Animal studies have shown evidence for the functional role of paralogs in pregnancy, but our knowledge about the role of paralogs in the fetoplacental regulation remains limited. In particular, if fetoplacental metabolic regulation is modulated by differential expression of paralogs remains unexamined. METHODS In this study, gene expression profiles of day-15 placenta and fetal brain were compared to identify families or groups of paralogous genes expressed in the placenta and brain of male versus female fetuses in mice. A Bayesian modeling was applied to infer directional relationship of transcriptional variation of the paralogs relative to the phylogenetic variation of the genes in each family. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to perform untargeted metabolomics analysis of day-15 placenta and fetal brain of both sexes. RESULTS We identified paralog groups that were expressed in a sex and/or tissue biased manner between the placenta and fetal brain. Bayesian modeling showed evidence for directional relationship between expression and phylogeny of specific paralogs. These relationships were sex specific. GC-MS analysis identified metabolites that were expressed in a sex-bias manner between the placenta and fetal brain. By performing integrative analysis of the metabolomics and gene expression data, we showed that specific groups of metabolites and paralogous genes were expressed in a coordinated manner between the placenta and fetal brain. DISCUSSION The findings of this study collectively suggest that paralogs play an influential role in the regulation of the brain-placental axis in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maliha Islam
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, 920 East Campus Drive, Columbia, Missouri, 65211, USA
| | - Susanta K Behura
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, 920 East Campus Drive, Columbia, Missouri, 65211, USA; MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, USA; Interdisciplinary Reproduction and Health Group, University of Missouri, USA; Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Missouri, USA.
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28
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Christians JK, Reue K. The role of gonadal hormones and sex chromosomes in sex-dependent effects of early nutrition on metabolic health. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1304050. [PMID: 38189044 PMCID: PMC10770830 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1304050] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Early-life conditions such as prenatal nutrition can have long-term effects on metabolic health, and these effects may differ between males and females. Understanding the biological mechanisms underlying sex differences in the response to early-life environment will improve interventions, but few such mechanisms have been identified, and there is no overall framework for understanding sex differences. Biological sex differences may be due to chromosomal sex, gonadal sex, or interactions between the two. This review describes approaches to distinguish between the roles of chromosomal and gonadal sex, and summarizes findings regarding sex differences in metabolism. The Four Core Genotypes (FCG) mouse model allows dissociation of the sex chromosome genotype from gonadal type, whereas the XY* mouse model can be used to distinguish effects of X chromosome dosage vs the presence of the Y chromosome. Gonadectomy can be used to distinguish between organizational (permanent) and activational (reversible) effects of sex hormones. Baseline sex differences in a variety of metabolic traits are influenced by both activational and organizational effects of gonadal hormones, as well as sex chromosome complement. Thus far, these approaches have not been widely applied to examine sex-dependent effects of prenatal conditions, although a number of studies have found activational effects of estradiol to be protective against the development of hypertension following early-life adversity. Genes that escape X chromosome inactivation (XCI), such as Kdm5c, contribute to baseline sex-differences in metabolism, while Ogt, another XCI escapee, leads to sex-dependent responses to prenatal maternal stress. Genome-wide approaches to the study of sex differences include mapping genetic loci influencing metabolic traits in a sex-dependent manner. Seeking enrichment for binding sites of hormone receptors among genes showing sexually-dimorphic expression can elucidate the relative roles of hormones. Using the approaches described herein to identify mechanisms underlying sex-dependent effects of early nutrition on metabolic health may enable the identification of fundamental mechanisms and potential interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian K. Christians
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Women’s Health Research Institute, BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Karen Reue
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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29
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Matsuo S, Ushida T, Tano S, Imai K, Yoshida S, Yamashita M, Kajiyama H, Kotani T. Sex-specific differences in head circumference of term singletons after assisted reproductive technology: a multicentre study in Japan. Reprod Biomed Online 2023; 47:103331. [PMID: 37820465 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2023.103331] [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: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION Does fertility treatment, specifically assisted reproductive technology (ART), affect head circumference in term singletons? DESIGN A total of 32,651 women who delivered at term at 12 maternity hospitals in Japan between 2010 and 2018 were included in the analysis; of these, 1941 (5.9%) and 2984 (9.1%) women conceived through ART and non-ART fertility treatments (timed intercourse, ovulation induction or artificial insemination), respectively. The study evaluated the adjusted odds ratios of head circumference ≥90th percentile stratified by infant sex and type of ART procedure after adjusting for covariates, with natural conception as the reference group. RESULTS ART significantly increased the risk of head circumference ≥90th percentile (adjusted odds ratio 1.56 [95% confidence interval 1.25-1.96]), whereas non-ART fertility treatment did not increase the risk (1.14 [0.92-1.42]). This increased risk of head circumference ≥90th percentile was observed exclusively in male neonates (1.73 [1.33-2.26]) and not in female neonates (1.18 [0.76-1.85]) in the ART group. Frozen embryo transfer (FET), FET in a hormone replacement cycle (HRC-FET) and blastocyst-stage embryo transfer were significantly associated with head circumference ≥90th percentile (1.60 [1.26-2.02], 1.70 [1.30-2.22] and 1.72 [1.33-2.24], respectively). CONCLUSIONS The use of ART, particularly FET, HRC-FET or blastocyst-stage embryo transfer, was linked with a heightened risk of head circumference ≥90th percentile compared with non-ART fertility treatment or natural conception. The increased risk was observed only in male neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seiko Matsuo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Takafumi Ushida
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Japan; Division of Reproduction and Perinatology, Center for Maternal-Neonatal Care, Nagoya University Hospital, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Japan.
| | - Sho Tano
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kenji Imai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shigeru Yoshida
- Kishokai Medical Corporation, Nishiki, Naka Ward, Nagoya, Japan
| | | | - Hiroaki Kajiyama
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Tomomi Kotani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Japan; Division of Reproduction and Perinatology, Center for Maternal-Neonatal Care, Nagoya University Hospital, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
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30
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Sassin AM, Sangi‐Haghpeykar H, Aagaard KM. Fetal sex and the development of gestational diabetes mellitus in gravidae with multiple gestation pregnancies. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2023; 102:1703-1710. [PMID: 37786339 PMCID: PMC10619600 DOI: 10.1111/aogs.14625] [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: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is an increasing incidence of pregnancies with twin gestations. One outcome more likely to occur with multiple gestations is gestational diabetes mellitus. Studies have suggested that in singleton pregnancies, fetal sex may affect insulin resistance. However, the effects of fetal sex in twins and the development of gestational diabetes mellitus are unknown. We hypothesized that rates of gestational diabetes mellitus and degree of insulin resistance might vary in twin gestations based on the fetal sex pairing: male-male, male-female or female-female. We aimed to employ a large population-based database to ascertain any correlations between fetal sex and gestational diabetes mellitus in multifetal gestations. MATERIAL AND METHODS A two-hospital, single academic institution database comprised of over 39 000 participants with pregnancy data from August 2011 to January 2022 was employed. All twin deliveries of live-born neonates >24 weeks' gestational age from gravidae without preexisting diabetes or twin-twin transfusion syndrome were included. Entries were then grouped based on the fetal sex of the pairing. The presence or absence of gestational diabetes and type of gestational diabetes - diet-controlled (gestational diabetes mellitus classification A1) vs medication-controlled (gestational diabetes mellitus classification A2) - were identified. Statistical analysis was performed using a generalized linear mixed method, and a P-value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS We identified 1924 twin deliveries that met the inclusion criteria in our database (male-male =652; male-female = 638; female-female = 634). We found no association between fetal sex pairing and the development of gestational diabetes mellitus. There was a significant association between the fetal sex pairing and the type of gestational diabetes mellitus developed, with 32.0% of male-male twins, 33.3% of male-female twins and 58.3% of the female-female twin deliveries associated with medication-controlled gestational diabetes classification A2: male-female vs female-female (P = 0.05) and male-male vs female-female (P = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS While gestational diabetes mellitus is of multifactorial origin, we found a significant association between the fetal sex pairing and the treatment needed for gravidae with twins who develop gestational diabetes mellitus. A higher proportion of female-female twins was associated with gestational diabetes classification A2 compared with male-female or male-male deliveries. Further research on the physiology driving this association is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa M. Sassin
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexasUSA
| | | | - Kjersti M. Aagaard
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal‐Fetal Medicine, and Departments of Molecular and Human GeneticsMolecular and Cell Biology, and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonTexasUSA
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Vietheer A, Kiserud T, Ebbing C, Rajkumar H, Ariansen Haaland Ø, Lie RT, Romero R, Kessler J. Maternal physical activity affects yolk sac size and growth in early pregnancy, but girls and boys use different strategies. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20246. [PMID: 37985885 PMCID: PMC10661167 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47536-4] [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: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
This longitudinal study investigated the impact of actigraphy-measured maternal physical activity on yolk sac size during early development. The yolk sac, a transient extraembryonic organ, plays a crucial role in embryonic development and is involved in metabolism, nutrition, growth, and hematopoiesis. Prospectively collected data from 190 healthy women indicated that their total daily physical activity, including both light and moderate-vigorous activity, was associated with yolk sac growth dynamics depending on embryonic sex and gestational age. Higher preconception maternal physical activity was linked to a larger yolk sac at 7 weeks (95% CI [0.02-0.13 mm]) and a smaller yolk sac at 10 weeks' gestation (95% CI [- 0.18 to - 0.00]) in male embryos; in female embryos, the yolk sac size was increased at 10 weeks' gestation (95% CI [0.06-0.26]) and was, on average, 24% larger than that in male embryos (95% CI [0.12-0.38]). Considering the pattern of other maternal effects on yolk sac size-e.g., body composition and sleep duration-we suggest that physiological yolk sac adaptations occur in short, sex-specific time windows and can be influenced by various maternal factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Vietheer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies Vei 72, 5053, Bergen, Norway.
- Maternal-Fetal-Neonatal-Research Western Norway, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Torvid Kiserud
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies Vei 72, 5053, Bergen, Norway
- Maternal-Fetal-Neonatal-Research Western Norway, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Cathrine Ebbing
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies Vei 72, 5053, Bergen, Norway
- Maternal-Fetal-Neonatal-Research Western Norway, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Hemamaalini Rajkumar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies Vei 72, 5053, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Rolv Terje Lie
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Roberto Romero
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jörg Kessler
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies Vei 72, 5053, Bergen, Norway
- Maternal-Fetal-Neonatal-Research Western Norway, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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Goodman CV, Green R, DaCosta A, Flora D, Lanphear B, Till C. Sex difference of pre- and post-natal exposure to six developmental neurotoxicants on intellectual abilities: a systematic review and meta-analysis of human studies. Environ Health 2023; 22:80. [PMID: 37978510 PMCID: PMC10655280 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-023-01029-z] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early life exposure to lead, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybromide diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organophosphate pesticides (OPPs), and phthalates have been associated with lowered IQ in children. In some studies, these neurotoxicants impact males and females differently. We aimed to examine the sex-specific effects of exposure to developmental neurotoxicants on intelligence (IQ) in a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHOD We screened abstracts published in PsychINFO and PubMed before December 31st, 2021, for empirical studies of six neurotoxicants (lead, mercury, PCBs, PBDEs, OPPs, and phthalates) that (1) used an individualized biomarker; (2) measured exposure during the prenatal period or before age six; and (3) provided effect estimates on general, nonverbal, and/or verbal IQ by sex. We assessed each study for risk of bias and evaluated the certainty of the evidence using Navigation Guide. We performed separate random effect meta-analyses by sex and timing of exposure with subgroup analyses by neurotoxicant. RESULTS Fifty-one studies were included in the systematic review and 20 in the meta-analysis. Prenatal exposure to developmental neurotoxicants was associated with decreased general and nonverbal IQ in males, especially for lead. No significant effects were found for verbal IQ, or postnatal lead exposure and general IQ. Due to the limited number of studies, we were unable to analyze postnatal effects of any of the other neurotoxicants. CONCLUSION During fetal development, males may be more vulnerable than females to general and nonverbal intellectual deficits from neurotoxic exposures, especially from lead. More research is needed to examine the nuanced sex-specific effects found for postnatal exposure to toxic chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly V Goodman
- Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, M3J 1P3, ON, Canada.
| | - Rivka Green
- Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, M3J 1P3, ON, Canada
| | - Allya DaCosta
- Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, M3J 1P3, ON, Canada
| | - David Flora
- Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, M3J 1P3, ON, Canada
| | - Bruce Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Christine Till
- Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, M3J 1P3, ON, Canada
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Algonaiman R, Almutairi AS, Al Zhrani MM, Barakat H. Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Bisphenol A Substitutes, Bisphenol S and Bisphenol F, on Offspring's Health: Evidence from Epidemiological and Experimental Studies. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1616. [PMID: 38002298 PMCID: PMC10669689 DOI: 10.3390/biom13111616] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy and lactation are critical periods for human well-being and are sensitive windows for pollutant exposure. Bisphenol A (BPA) is well demonstrated as a toxicant and has been replaced in the plastic industry with other bisphenol analogs that share similarities in structure and characteristics, most commonly Bisphenol S (BPS) and Bisphenol F (BPF). Maternal exposure to BPS or BPF can result in their accumulation in the fetal compartment, leading to chronic exposure and potentially limiting normal fetal growth and development. This review summarizes considerable findings of epidemiological or experimental studies reporting associations between BPS or BPF and impaired fetal growth and development. Briefly, the available findings indicate that exposure to the two bisphenol analogs during pregnancy and lactation can result in multiple disturbances in the offspring, including fetal growth restrictions, neurological dysfunctions, and metabolic disorders with the potential to persist throughout childhood. The occurrence of premature births may also be attributed to exposure to the two bisphenols. The possible mechanisms of actions by which the two bisphenols can induce such effects can be attributed to a complex of interactions between the physiological mechanisms, including impaired placental functioning and development, dysregulation of gene expression, altered hormonal balance, and disturbances in immune responses as well as induced inflammations and oxidative stress. In conclusion, the available evidence suggests that BPS and BPF have a toxic potential in a compartment level to BPA. Future research is needed to provide more intensive information; long-term studies and epidemiological research, including a wide scale of populations with different settings, are recommended. Public awareness regarding the safety of BPA-free products should also be enhanced, with particular emphasis on educating individuals responsible for the well-being of children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raya Algonaiman
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Abdulkarim S. Almutairi
- Al-Rass General Hospital, Qassim Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Ibn Sina Street, King Khalid District, Al-Rass 58883, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Muath M. Al Zhrani
- Department of Applied Medical Science, Applied College, Bishah University, Bishah 67616, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Hassan Barakat
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia;
- Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Moshtohor 13736, Egypt
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Oelkrug R, Harder L, Pedaran M, Hoffmann A, Kolms B, Inderhees J, Gachkar S, Resch J, Johann K, Jöhren O, Krause K, Mittag J. Maternal thyroid hormone receptor β activation in mice sparks brown fat thermogenesis in the offspring. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6742. [PMID: 37875497 PMCID: PMC10597992 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42425-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
It is well established that maternal thyroid hormones play an important role for the developing fetus; however, the consequences of maternal hyperthyroidism for the offspring remain poorly understood. Here we show in mice that maternal 3,3',5-triiodothyronine (T3) treatment during pregnancy leads to improved glucose tolerance in the adult male offspring and hyperactivity of brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis in both sexes starting early after birth. The activated BAT provides advantages upon cold exposure, reducing the strain on other thermogenic organs like muscle. This maternal BAT programming requires intact maternal thyroid hormone receptor β (TRβ) signaling, as offspring of mothers lacking this receptor display the opposite phenotype. On the molecular level, we identify distinct T3 induced alterations in maternal serum metabolites, including choline, a key metabolite for healthy pregnancy. Taken together, our results connect maternal TRβ activation to the fetal programming of a thermoregulatory phenotype in the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Oelkrug
- Institute for Endocrinology & Diabetes - Molecular Endocrinology, Center of Brain Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Lisbeth Harder
- Institute for Endocrinology & Diabetes - Molecular Endocrinology, Center of Brain Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Mehdi Pedaran
- Institute for Endocrinology & Diabetes - Molecular Endocrinology, Center of Brain Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Anne Hoffmann
- Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Obesity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University of Leipzig and University Hospital Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Straße 27, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Beke Kolms
- Institute for Endocrinology & Diabetes - Molecular Endocrinology, Center of Brain Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Julica Inderhees
- Bioanalytic Core Facility - Center of Brain Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Sogol Gachkar
- Institute for Endocrinology & Diabetes - Molecular Endocrinology, Center of Brain Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Julia Resch
- Institute for Endocrinology & Diabetes - Molecular Endocrinology, Center of Brain Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Kornelia Johann
- Institute for Endocrinology & Diabetes - Molecular Endocrinology, Center of Brain Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Olaf Jöhren
- Bioanalytic Core Facility - Center of Brain Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Kerstin Krause
- Department of Endocrinology, Nephrology, Rheumatology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jens Mittag
- Institute for Endocrinology & Diabetes - Molecular Endocrinology, Center of Brain Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany.
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Carter D, Better M, Abbasi S, Zulfiqar F, Shapiro R, Ensign LM. Nanomedicine for Maternal and Fetal Health. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023:e2303682. [PMID: 37817368 PMCID: PMC11004090 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202303682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Conception, pregnancy, and childbirth are complex processes that affect both mother and fetus. Thus, it is perhaps not surprising that in the United States alone, roughly 11% of women struggle with infertility and 16% of pregnancies involve some sort of complication. This presents a clear need to develop safe and effective treatment options, though the development of therapeutics for use in women's health and particularly in pregnancy is relatively limited. Physiological and biological changes during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy impact biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy, further complicating the process of administration and delivery of therapeutics. In addition to the complex pharmacodynamics, there is also the challenge of overcoming physiological barriers that impact various routes of local and systemic administration, including the blood-follicle barrier and the placenta. Nanomedicine presents a unique opportunity to target and sustain drug delivery to the reproductive tract and other relevant organs in the mother and fetus, as well as improve the safety profile and minimize side effects. Nanomedicine-based approaches have the potential to improve the management and treatment of infertility, obstetric complications, and fetal conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davell Carter
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marina Better
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Saed Abbasi
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Fareeha Zulfiqar
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rachel Shapiro
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Laura M. Ensign
- Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Departments of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Biomedical Engineering, Oncology, and Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Ogah OS, Oguntade AS, Chukwuonye II, Onyeonoro UU, Madukwe OO, Asinobi A, Ogah F, Orimolade OA, Babatunde AO, Okeke MF, Attah OP, Ebengho IG, Sliwa K, Stewart S. Childhood and Infant exposure to famine in the Biafran war is associated with hypertension in later life: the Abia NCDS study. J Hum Hypertens 2023; 37:936-943. [PMID: 36473942 DOI: 10.1038/s41371-022-00782-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
There are very few studies in Africans investigating the association between early life exposure to malnutrition and subsequent hypertension in adulthood. We set out to investigate this potential association within an adult cohort who were born around the time of the Biafran War (1968-1970) and subsequent famine in Nigeria. This was a retrospective analysis of Abia State Non-Communicable Diseases and Cardiovascular Risk Factors (AS-NCD-CRF) Survey, a community-based, cross-sectional study that profiled 386 adults (47.4% men) of Igbo ethnicity born in the decade between January 1965 and December 1974. Based on their date of birth and the timing of the famine, participants were grouped according to their exposure to famine as children (Child-Fam) or in-utero fetus/infant (Fet-Inf-Fam) or no exposure (No-Fam). Binomial logit regression models were fitted to determine the association between famine exposure and hypertension in adulthood. Overall, 130 participants had hypertension (33.7%). Compared to the No-Fam group (24.4%), the prevalence of hypertension was significantly elevated in both the Child-Fam (43% - adjusted OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.14-5.36) and Fet-Inf-Fam (44.6% - adjusted OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.33-4.86) groups. The risk of hypertension in adulthood was highest among females within the Child-Fam group. However, within the Fet-Inf-Fam group males had a equivalently higher risk than females. These data suggest that early life exposure to famine and malnutrition in Africa is associated with a markedly increased risk of hypertension in adulthood; with sex-based differences evident. Thus, the importance of avoiding armed conflicts and food in-security in the region cannot be overstated. The legacy effects of the Biafran War clearly show the wider need for ongoing programs that support the nutritional needs of African mothers, infants and children as well as proactive surveillance programs for the early signs of hypertension in young Africans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Okechukwu S Ogah
- Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
- Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.
- Institute of Advanced Medical Research and Training, College of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
| | | | - Innocent Ijezie Chukwuonye
- Clinical Trial Service Unit & Epidemiological Studies Unit (CTSU), Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Adanze Asinobi
- Nephrology Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Fisayo Ogah
- Department of Chemical Pathology, University College Hospital Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | | | | | - Mesoma Frances Okeke
- Alexander Brown Hall, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Ojoma Peace Attah
- Alexander Brown Hall, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | | | - Karen Sliwa
- Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Soweto Cardiovascular Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Simon Stewart
- Institute of Health Research, University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, WA, Australia
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Scorza P, Duarte CS, Lee S, Wu H, Posner J, Baccarelli A, Monk C. Stage 2 Registered Report: Epigenetic Intergenerational Transmission: Mothers' Adverse Childhood Experiences and DNA Methylation. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2023; 62:1110-1122. [PMID: 37330044 PMCID: PMC10594411 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Individual differences in risk for mental disorders over the lifespan are shaped by forces acting before the individual is born-in utero, but likely even earlier, during the mother's own childhood. The environmental epigenetics hypothesis proposes that sustained effects of environmental conditions on gene expression are mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. Recent human studies have shown that adversities in childhood are correlated with DNA methylation (DNAm) in adulthood. In the current study, we tested the following pre-registered hypotheses: Mothers' adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are correlated with DNAm in peripheral blood during pregnancy (hypothesis 1) and in cord blood samples from newborn infants (hypothesis 2), and women's depression and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy mediate the association between mothers' ACE exposure and prenatal/neonatal DNA methylation (hypothesis 3). METHOD Data were from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children Accessible Resource for Integrated Epigenomic Studies substudy. Women provided retrospective self-reports during pregnancy of ACE exposure. We conducted an epigenome-wide association study testing whether mothers' ACE exposure, cumulative score (0-10), was associated with DNAm in maternal antenatal blood and infant cord blood in more than 450,000 CpG (point on DNA sequence where cytosine and guanine base pairs are linked by a phosphate, where methylation usually occurs) sites on the Illumina 450K BeadChip. Analyses for cord blood were separated by infant sex, a pre-registered analysis. RESULTS Hypothesis 1: In 896 mother-infant pairs with available methylation and ACE exposure data, there were no significant associations between mothers' ACE score and DNAm from antenatal peripheral blood, after controlling for covariates. Hypothesis 2: In infant cord blood, there were 5 CpG sites significantly differentially methylated in relation to mothers' ACEs (false discovery rate [FDR] < .05), but only in male offspring. Effect sizes were medium, with partial eta squared values ranging from 0.060 to 0.078. CpG sites were in genes related to mitochondrial function and neuronal development in the cerebellum. Hypothesis 3: There was no mediation by maternal anxiety/depression symptoms found between mothers' ACEs score and DNAm in the significant CpG sites in male cord blood. Mediation was not tested in antenatal peripheral blood, because no direct association between mothers' ACE score and antenatal peripheral blood was found. CONCLUSION Our results show that mothers' ACE exposure is associated with DNAm in male offspring, supporting the notion that DNAm could be a marker of intergenerational biological embedding of mothers' childhood adversity. STUDY REGISTRATION INFORMATION Epigenetic Intergenerational Transmission: Mothers' Adverse Childhood Experiences and DNA Methylation; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2020.03.008.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Scorza
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York.
| | - Cristiane S Duarte
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York; Columbia University, New York
| | - Seonjoo Lee
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York; Columbia University, New York
| | - Haotian Wu
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York
| | - Jonathan Posner
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York; Columbia University, New York
| | | | - Catherine Monk
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York
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Zhang H, Zha X, Zheng Y, Liu X, Elsabagh M, Wang H, Jiang H, Wang M. Mechanisms underlying the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in the placental injury and fetal growth restriction in an ovine gestation model. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2023; 14:117. [PMID: 37691111 PMCID: PMC10494380 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-023-00919-z] [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: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), an environmental pollutant known for its endocrine-disrupting properties, during gestation has been reported to increase the risk of fetal growth restriction (FGR) in an ovine model of pregnancy. We hypothesized that the FGR results from the BPA-induced insufficiency and barrier dysfunction of the placenta, oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). However, precise mechanisms underlying the BPA-induced placental dysfunction, and subsequently, FGR, as well as the potential involvement of placental ERS in these complications, remain to be investigated. METHODS In vivo experiment, 16 twin-pregnant (from d 40 to 130 of gestation) Hu ewes were randomly distributed into two groups (8 ewes each). One group served as a control and received corn oil once a day, whereas the other group received BPA (5 mg/kg/d as a subcutaneous injection). In vitro study, ovine trophoblast cells (OTCs) were exposed to 4 treatments, 6 replicates each. The OTCs were treated with 400 μmol/L BPA, 400 μmol/L BPA + 0.5 μg/mL tunicamycin (Tm; ERS activator), 400 μmol/L BPA + 1 μmol/L 4-phenyl butyric acid (4-PBA; ERS antagonist) and DMEM/F12 complete medium (control), for 24 h. RESULTS In vivo experiments, pregnant Hu ewes receiving the BPA from 40 to 130 days of pregnancy experienced a decrease in placental efficiency, progesterone (P4) level and fetal weight, and an increase in placental estrogen (E2) level, together with barrier dysfunctions, OS, inflammatory responses, autophagy and ERS in type A cotyledons. In vitro experiment, the OTCs exposed to BPA for 24 h showed an increase in the E2 level and related protein and gene expressions of autophagy, ERS, pro-apoptosis and inflammatory response, and a decrease in the P4 level and the related protein and gene expressions of antioxidant, anti-apoptosis and barrier function. Moreover, treating the OTCs with Tm aggravated BPA-induced dysfunction of barrier and endocrine (the increased E2 level and decreased P4 level), OS, inflammatory responses, autophagy, and ERS. However, treating the OTCs with 4-PBA reversed the counteracted effects of Tm mentioned above. CONCLUSIONS In general, the results reveal that BPA exposure can cause ERS in the ovine placenta and OTCs, and ERS induction might aggravate BPA-induced dysfunction of the placental barrier and endocrine, OS, inflammatory responses, and autophagy. These data offer novel mechanistic insights into whether ERS is involved in BPA-mediated placental dysfunction and fetal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhang
- Laboratory of Metabolic Manipulation of Herbivorous Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, P. R. China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, P. R. China
| | - Xia Zha
- Laboratory of Metabolic Manipulation of Herbivorous Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, P. R. China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, P. R. China
| | - Yi Zheng
- Laboratory of Metabolic Manipulation of Herbivorous Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, P. R. China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyun Liu
- Laboratory of Metabolic Manipulation of Herbivorous Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, P. R. China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, P. R. China
| | - Mabrouk Elsabagh
- Department of Animal Production and Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, Nigde, 51240, Turkey
- Department of Nutrition and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, KafrelSheikh, Egypt
| | - Hongrong Wang
- Laboratory of Metabolic Manipulation of Herbivorous Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, P. R. China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, P. R. China
| | - Honghua Jiang
- Laboratory of Metabolic Manipulation of Herbivorous Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, P. R. China.
- Department of Pediatrics, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, Clinical Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225001, China.
| | - Mengzhi Wang
- Laboratory of Metabolic Manipulation of Herbivorous Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, P. R. China.
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, P. R. China.
- State Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Production, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Reclamation Science, Shihezi, 832000, China.
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Zhu Y, Zhang Y, Jin Y, Jin H, Huang K, Tong J, Gan H, Rui C, Lv J, Wang X, Wang Q, Tao F. Identification and prediction model of placenta-brain axis genes associated with neurodevelopmental delay in moderate and late preterm children. BMC Med 2023; 21:326. [PMID: 37633927 PMCID: PMC10464496 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-03023-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Moderate and late preterm (MLPT) birth accounts for the vast majority of preterm births, which is a global public health problem. The association between MLPT and neurobehavioral developmental delays in children and the underlying biological mechanisms need to be further revealed. The "placenta-brain axis" (PBA) provides a new perspective for gene regulation and risk prediction of neurodevelopmental delays in MLPT children. METHODS The authors performed multivariate logistic regression models between MLPT and children's neurodevelopmental outcomes, using data from 129 MLPT infants and 3136 full-term controls from the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort (MABC). Furthermore, the authors identified the abnormally regulated PBA-related genes in MLPT placenta by bioinformatics analysis of RNA-seq data and RT-qPCR verification on independent samples. Finally, the authors established the prediction model of neurodevelopmental delay in children with MLPT using multiple machine learning models. RESULTS The authors found an increased risk of neurodevelopmental delay in children with MLPT at 6 months, 18 months, and 48 months, especially in boys. Further verification showed that APOE and CST3 genes were significantly correlated with the developmental levels of gross-motor domain, fine-motor domain, and personal social domain in 6-month-old male MLPT children. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggested that there was a sex-specific association between MLPT and neurodevelopmental delays. Moreover, APOE and CST3 were identified as placental biomarkers. The results provided guidance for the etiology investigation, risk prediction, and early intervention of neurodevelopmental delays in children with MLPT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumin Zhu
- Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
- Department of Maternal & Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
| | - Yimin Zhang
- Department of Maternal & Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yunfan Jin
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Heyue Jin
- Department of Maternal & Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Kun Huang
- Department of Maternal & Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Juan Tong
- Department of Maternal & Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Hong Gan
- Department of Maternal & Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Chen Rui
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Jia Lv
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xianyan Wang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Qu'nan Wang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
| | - Fangbiao Tao
- Department of Maternal & Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
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Kheirkhah Rahimabad P, Jones AD, Zhang H, Chen S, Jiang Y, Ewart S, Holloway JW, Arshad H, Eslamimehr S, Bruce R, Karmaus W. Polymorphisms in Glutathione S-Transferase ( GST) Genes Modify the Effect of Exposure to Maternal Smoking Metabolites in Pregnancy and Offspring DNA Methylation. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1644. [PMID: 37628696 PMCID: PMC10454475 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081644] [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: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal smoking in pregnancy (MSP) affects the offspring's DNA methylation (DNAm). There is a lack of knowledge regarding individual differences in susceptibility to exposure to MSP. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes are involved in protection against harmful oxidants such as those found in cigarette smoke. This study aimed to test whether polymorphisms in GST genes influence the effect of MSP on offspring DNAm. Using data from the Isle of Wight birth cohort, we assessed the association of MSP and offspring DNAm in 493 mother-child dyads (251 male, 242 female) with the effect-modifying role of GST gene polymorphism (at rs506008, rs574344, rs12736389, rs3768490, rs1537234, and rs1695). MSP was assessed by levels of nicotine and its downstream metabolites (cotinine, norcotinine, and hydroxycotinine) in maternal sera. In males, associations of hydroxycotinine with DNAm at cg18473733, cg25949550, cg11647108, and cg01952185 and norcotinine with DNAm at cg09935388 were modified by GST gene polymorphisms (p-values < 0.05). In females, associations of hydroxycotinine with DNAm at cg12160087 and norcotinine with DNAm at cg18473733 were modified by GST gene polymorphisms (p-values < 0.05). Our study emphasizes the role of genetic polymorphism in GST genes in DNAm's susceptibility to MSP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parnian Kheirkhah Rahimabad
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38111, USA; (P.K.R.); (H.Z.); (Y.J.); (S.E.)
| | - A. Daniel Jones
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38111, USA; (P.K.R.); (H.Z.); (Y.J.); (S.E.)
| | - Su Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA;
| | - Yu Jiang
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38111, USA; (P.K.R.); (H.Z.); (Y.J.); (S.E.)
| | - Susan Ewart
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - John W. Holloway
- Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK;
| | - Hasan Arshad
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK;
- The David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, Isle of Wight, Newport PO30 5TG, UK
- NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton, Hampshire, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Shakiba Eslamimehr
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38111, USA; (P.K.R.); (H.Z.); (Y.J.); (S.E.)
| | - Robert Bruce
- Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA;
| | - Wilfried Karmaus
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38111, USA; (P.K.R.); (H.Z.); (Y.J.); (S.E.)
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Roberts VH, Castro JN, Wessel BM, Conrad DF, Lewis AD, Lo JO. Rhesus macaque fetal and placental growth demographics: A resource for laboratory animal researchers. Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23526. [PMID: 37244752 PMCID: PMC10528524 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23526] [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: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) are amongst the most common nonhuman primate species used in biomedical research. These animals provide a precious resource for translational studies and opportunities to maximize rhesus data use are encouraged. Here we compile data produced from 10 years of investigator-driven pregnancy studies conducted at the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC). All pregnancies were generated within the consistent and reproducible protocols of the ONPRC time-mated breeding program. The data included are from control animals who did not experience in utero perturbations or experimental manipulations. A total of 86 pregnant rhesus macaques were delivered by cesarean section over a range of gestational days (G) 50 to G159 (where term is G165 ± 10 days in the rhesus macaque), with subsequent immediate tissue harvesting following standardized protocols. Fetal and placental growth measures, and all major organ weights are reported. All data are presented relative to gestational age for the entire cohort and in addition, data are stratified by fetal sex. The outcome is a large reference resource for use by laboratory animal researchers in future comparative fetal development studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria H.J. Roberts
- Division of Reproductive and Developmental Science, Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC), Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Jenna N. Castro
- Division of Reproductive and Developmental Science, Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC), Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Brady M. Wessel
- Division of Reproductive and Developmental Science, Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC), Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Donald F. Conrad
- Division of Genetics, ONPRC, OHSU, Beaverton, OR, USA
- Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, OHSU, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Anne D. Lewis
- Division of Animal Research Resources and Services, ONPRC, OHSU, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Jamie O. Lo
- Division of Reproductive and Developmental Science, Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC), Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Beaverton, OR, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, OHSU, Portland, OR, USA
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Wang H, Zhang L, Wu J, Wang P, Li Q, Sui X, Xu Y, Zhao Y, Liu Y, Zhang Y. Sex-specific effects of organophosphate ester exposure on child growth trajectories in the first two years. ECO-ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH 2023; 2:152-160. [PMCID: PMC10702896 DOI: 10.1016/j.eehl.2023.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/10/2023]
Abstract
The connections between urinary organophosphate ester (OPE) metabolites and child growth have been identified in prior research, but there is currently a dearth of epidemiological evidence regarding the sex-specific impact of OPEs on child growth trajectories. This study enrolled 804 maternal–child pairs, and five OPE congeners were quantified in maternal serum during pregnancy. In this study, the impact of prenatal OPE exposure on child growth trajectories was assessed using linear mixed-effect models and a group-based trajectory model (GBTM), with consideration given to sex-specific effects. Fetuses were frequently exposed to OPEs in utero, and tris(2-butoxyethel) phosphate (TBEP) exhibited the highest concentration levels in maternal serum. Among male children, an increase of 2.72 ng/g lipid in TBEP concentration was associated with a 0.11-unit increase in head circumference-for-age z-score (HCAZ), and the effect was mainly concentrated at 1 and 2 months of age. Among female children, an increase of 2.72 ng/g lipid in tris(2-chloro-1-(chloromethyl) ethyl) phosphate (TDCPP) concentration was associated with a 0.15-unit increase in length-for-age z-score (LAZ) and a 0.14-unit increase in weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), and the effects were mainly concentrated at 9 months of age. For HCAZ trajectories, higher prenatal TBEP exposure was associated with higher odds for the fast growth group in male children. For the LAZ and WAZ trajectories, higher prenatal TDCPP exposure was associated with higher odds for the fast growth group in female children. The trajectory analysis approach provided insight into the complex associations between OPE exposure and child growth. •Organophosphate ester (OPEs) were detected in serum samples of pregnant women, and tributyl phosphate (TBP) was the most frequently detected OPEs. •Prenatal exposure to TBP, tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBEP), and tris(2-chloro-1-(chloromethyl) ethyl) phosphate (TDCPP) were positively associated with infant growth trajectories. •Female infants were more sensitive to OPE exposure than males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Wang
- Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Liyi Zhang
- Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jie Wu
- The Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital of Songjiang District, Shanghai 201600, China
| | - Pengpeng Wang
- Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xinyao Sui
- Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yaqi Xu
- Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yunhui Zhang
- Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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Stenhouse C, Bazer FW, Ashworth CJ. Sexual dimorphism in placental development and function: Comparative physiology with an emphasis on the pig. Mol Reprod Dev 2023; 90:684-696. [PMID: 35466463 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23573] [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: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Across mammalian species, it has been demonstrated that sex influences birth weight, with males being heavier than females; a characteristic that can be observed from early gestation. Male piglets are more likely to be stillborn and have greater preweaning mortality than their female littermates, despite the additional maternal investment into male fetal growth. Given the conserved nature of the genome between the sexes, it is hypothesized that these developmental differences between males and females are most likely orchestrated by differential placental adaptation. This review summarizes the current understanding of fetal sex-specific differences in placental and endometrial structure and function, with an emphasis on pathways found to be differentially regulated in the pig including angiogenesis, apoptosis, and proliferation. Given the importance of piglet sex in agricultural enterprises, and the potential for skewed litter sex ratios, it is imperative to improve understanding of the relationship between fetal sex and molecular signaling in both the placenta and endometria across gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Stenhouse
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
- Functional Genetics and Development Division, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - Fuller W Bazer
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Cheryl J Ashworth
- Functional Genetics and Development Division, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
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Mitsuda N, Eitoku M, Yamasaki K, J-P NA, Fujieda M, Maeda N, Suganuma N. Association between maternal cholesterol level during pregnancy and placental weight and birthweight ratio: data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2023; 23:484. [PMID: 37391691 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-023-05810-3] [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: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Placental weight to birthweight ratio (PW/BW ratio), or its inverse, is used as an indicator of placental efficiency. Past studies have shown an association between an abnormal PW/BW ratio and adverse intrauterine environment, however, no previous studies have examined the effect of abnormal lipid levels during pregnancy on PW/BW ratio. We aimed to evaluate the association between maternal cholesterol levels during pregnancy and placental weight to birthweight ratio (PW/BW ratio). METHODS This study was a secondary analysis using the data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS). 81 781 singletons and their mothers were included in the analysis. Maternal serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels during pregnancy were obtained from participants. Associations between maternal lipid levels and placental weight and PW/BW ratio were assessed by regression analysis using restricted cubic splines. RESULTS Dose-response relationships were observed between maternal lipid level during pregnancy and placental weight and PW/BW ratio. High TC and LDL-C levels were associated with heavy placental weight and high PW/BW ratio, i.e., inappropriately heavy placenta for birthweight. Low HDL-C level was also associated with inappropriately heavy placenta. Low TC and LDL-C levels were associated with low placental weight and low PW/BW ratio, i.e., inappropriately light placenta for birthweight. High HDL-C was not associated with PW/BW ratio. These findings were independent of pre-pregnancy body mass index and gestational weight gain. CONCLUSIONS Abnormal lipid levels such as elevated TC and LDL-C, and low HDL-C level, during pregnancy were associated with inappropriately heavy placental weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Mitsuda
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan.
| | - Masamitsu Eitoku
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan
| | - Keiko Yamasaki
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan
| | - Naw Awn J-P
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan
| | - Mikiya Fujieda
- Department of Pediatrics, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan
| | - Nagamasa Maeda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan
| | - Narufumi Suganuma
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan
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Castro JJ, Umana-Perez A, Castaño-Moreno E, Casanello P, Ronco AM. DHA Supplementation during Pregnancy in Women with Obesity Normalizes IGF2R Levels in the Placenta of Male Newborns. Int J Endocrinol 2023; 2023:1515033. [PMID: 37408866 PMCID: PMC10319466 DOI: 10.1155/2023/1515033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Insulin-like growth factor receptor 2 (IGF2R) regulates placental nutrient transport, and its soluble form is related to obesity in adults. If the placental expression of IGF2R is altered in women with obesity is unknown. Whether maternal supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a polyunsaturated fatty acid with anti-inflammatory properties, has a modulatory role in IGF2R's function has not been elucidated. We hypothesized that maternal obesity (Ob) would be associated with alterations in placental IGF2R expression, which may be prevented with DHA supplementation during pregnancy. Methods At delivery, we obtained placentas from women with Ob (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, n = 17), Ob supplemented with 800 mg/day of DHA during pregnancy (Ob + DHA, n = 13), and normal-weight women (Nw, BMI ≥ 18.5 ≤ 24.9 kg/m2, n = 14). The IGF2R mRNA and protein were determined by RT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. Moreover, we quantified the gene expression of molecules that modulate the IGF2R function in the extracellular domain, such as TACE/ADAM17, PLAU, and IGF2. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric tests were used to compare results between two or three groups accordingly. Results The IGF2R levels in the Ob placentas of the male offspring were higher than in the Nw group. The DHA supplementation prevented this effect, suggesting an unknown relationship between IGF2R-Ob-DHA in placental tissues. Conclusion We report, for the first time, that DHA supplementation during pregnancy in women with obesity normalizes the increased IGF2R levels in male placentas, reducing the risk of adverse outcomes related to the IGF2/IGF2R system in male newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan José Castro
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Grupo de Investigación en Hormonas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Código Postal: 111321, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Adriana Umana-Perez
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Grupo de Investigación en Hormonas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Código Postal: 111321, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Erika Castaño-Moreno
- Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolic Regulation, Human Nutrition Unit, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Doctor Fernando Monckeberg Barros (INTA), University of Chile, Post Code 7830490, Santiago, Chile
- Institute for Obesity Research, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey 64849, NL, Mexico
| | - Paola Casanello
- Department of Neonatology and Department of Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Post Code: 8330024, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ana María Ronco
- Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolic Regulation, Human Nutrition Unit, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Doctor Fernando Monckeberg Barros (INTA), University of Chile, Post Code 7830490, Santiago, Chile
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Wu Y, Zeng F, Li J, Jiang Y, Zhao S, Knibbs LD, Zhang X, Wang Y, Zhang Q, Wang Q, Hu Q, Guo X, Chen Y, Cao G, Wang J, Yang X, Wang X, Liu T, Zhang B. Sex-specific relationships between prenatal exposure to metal mixtures and birth weight in a Chinese birth cohort. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 262:115158. [PMID: 37348214 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Birth weight is an indicator linking intrauterine environmental exposures to later-life diseases, and intrauterine metal exposure may affect birth weight in a sex-specific manner. We investigated sex-specific associations between prenatal exposure to metal mixtures and birth weight in a Chinese birth cohort. The birth weight of 1296 boys and 1098 girls were recorded, and 10 metals in maternal urine samples collected during pregnancy were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression was used to estimate the association of individual metals or metal mixtures and birth weight for gestational age (BW for GA). The model showed a sex-specific relationship between prenatal exposure to metal mixtures and BW for GA with a significant negative association in girls and a non-significant positive association in boys. Cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) were positively and negatively associated with BW for GA in girls, respectively. Moreover, increasing thallium (Tl) concentration lowered the positive association between Cd and BW for GA and enhanced the negative association between Ni and BW for GA in girls. When exposure to other metals increased, the positive association with Cd diminished, whereas the negative association with Ni or Tl increased. Our findings provide evidence supporting the complex effects of intrauterine exposure to metal mixtures on the birth weight of girls and further highlight the sex heterogeneity in fetal development influenced by intrauterine environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wu
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Fulin Zeng
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, School of Public Health, Food Safety and Health Research Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jinhui Li
- Department of Urology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yukang Jiang
- School of Mathematics, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Southern China Center for Statistical Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shi Zhao
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Luke D Knibbs
- School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Xiaojun Zhang
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, School of Public Health, Food Safety and Health Research Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yiding Wang
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, School of Public Health, Food Safety and Health Research Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qianqian Zhang
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiong Wang
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiansheng Hu
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaobo Guo
- School of Mathematics, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Southern China Center for Statistical Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yumeng Chen
- School of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ganxiang Cao
- School of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xingfen Yang
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, School of Public Health, Food Safety and Health Research Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xueqin Wang
- Department of Statistics and Finance/International Institute of Finance, School of Management, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Tao Liu
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Disease Control and Prevention Institute of Jinan University, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Bo Zhang
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, School of Public Health, Food Safety and Health Research Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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47
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Tao Z, Chen Y, He F, Tang J, Zhan L, Hu H, Ding Z, Ruan S, Chen Y, Chen B, Wang Y, Guo X, Xie L, Zhong M, Huang Q. Alterations in the Gut Microbiome and Metabolisms in Pregnancies with Fetal Growth Restriction. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0007623. [PMID: 37199635 PMCID: PMC10269609 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00076-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Fetuses diagnosed with fetal growth restriction (FGR) are at an elevated risk of stillbirth and adulthood morbidity. Gut dysbiosis has emerged as one of the impacts of placental insufficiency, which is the main cause of FGR. This study aimed to characterize the relationships among the intestinal microbiome, metabolites, and FGR. Characterization was conducted on the gut microbiome, fecal metabolome, and human phenotypes in a cohort of 35 patients with FGR and 35 normal pregnancies (NP). The serum metabolome was analyzed in 19 patients with FGR and 31 normal pregnant women. Multidimensional data was integrated to reveal the links between data sets. A fecal microbiota transplantation mouse model was used to determine the effects of the intestinal microbiome on fetal growth and placental phenotypes. The diversity and composition of the gut microbiota were altered in patients with FGR. A group of microbial species altered in FGR closely correlated with fetal measurements and maternal clinical variables. Fecal and serum metabolism profiles were distinct in FGR patients compared to those in the NP group. Altered metabolites were identified and associated with clinical phenotypes. Integrated multi-omics analysis revealed the interactions among gut microbiota, metabolites, and clinical measurements. Microbiota from FGR gravida transplanted to mice progestationally induced FGR and placental dysfunction, including impaired spiral artery remodeling and insufficient trophoblast cell invasion. Taken together, the integration of microbiome and metabolite profiles from the human cohort indicates that patients with FGR endure gut dysbiosis and metabolic disorders, which contribute to disease pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE Downstream of the primary cause of fetal growth restriction are placental insufficiency and fetal malnutrition. Gut microbiota and metabolites appear to play an important role in the progression of gestation, while dysbiosis induces maternal and fetal complications. Our study elaborates the significant differences in microbiota profiles and metabolome characteristics between women with FGR and normal pregnancies. This is the first attempt so far that reveals the mechanistic links in multi-omics in FGR, providing a novel insight into host-microbe interaction in placenta-derived diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixin Tao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yun Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Fang He
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiawei Tang
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Limei Zhan
- Foshan Women and Children Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical University, Foshan, Guangdong, China
| | - Haoyue Hu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ziling Ding
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shenghang Ruan
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yutao Chen
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Beier Chen
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaoling Guo
- Foshan Women and Children Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical University, Foshan, Guangdong, China
| | - Liwei Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Mei Zhong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qitao Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First People’s Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong, China
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Bongaerts E, Nawrot TS, Wang C, Ameloot M, Bové H, Roeffaers MB, Chavatte-Palmer P, Couturier-Tarrade A, Cassee FR. Placental-fetal distribution of carbon particles in a pregnant rabbit model after repeated exposure to diluted diesel engine exhaust. Part Fibre Toxicol 2023; 20:20. [PMID: 37202804 DOI: 10.1186/s12989-023-00531-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Airborne pollution particles have been shown to translocate from the mother's lung to the fetal circulation, but their distribution and internal placental-fetal tissue load remain poorly explored. Here, we investigated the placental-fetal load and distribution of diesel engine exhaust particles during gestation under controlled exposure conditions using a pregnant rabbit model. Pregnant dams were exposed by nose-only inhalation to either clean air (controls) or diluted and filtered diesel engine exhaust (1 mg/m3) for 2 h/day, 5 days/week, from gestational day (GD) 3 to GD27. At GD28, placental and fetal tissues (i.e., heart, kidney, liver, lung and gonads) were collected for biometry and to study the presence of carbon particles (CPs) using white light generation by carbonaceous particles under femtosecond pulsed laser illumination. RESULTS CPs were detected in the placenta, fetal heart, kidney, liver, lung and gonads in significantly higher amounts in exposed rabbits compared with controls. Through multiple factor analysis, we were able to discriminate the diesel engine exposed pregnant rabbits from the control group taking all variables related to fetoplacental biometry and CP load into consideration. Our findings did not reveal a sex effect, yet a potential interaction effect might be present between exposure and fetal sex. CONCLUSIONS The results confirmed the translocation of maternally inhaled CPs from diesel engine exhaust to the placenta which could be detected in fetal organs during late-stage pregnancy. The exposed can be clearly discriminated from the control group with respect to fetoplacental biometry and CP load. The differential particle load in the fetal organs may contribute to the effects on fetoplacental biometry and to the malprogramming of the fetal phenotype with long-term effects later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Bongaerts
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Tim S Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35 blok d-box 7001, Leuven, 3000, Belgium.
| | - Congrong Wang
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Marcel Ameloot
- Biomedical Research Institute, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building C, Diepenbeek, 3590, Belgium
| | - Hannelore Bové
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Maarten Bj Roeffaers
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan, Leuven, 200F-box 2454, 3001, Belgium
| | - Pascale Chavatte-Palmer
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, Jouy-en-Josas, 78350, France
- Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, Misons-Alfort, 94700, France
| | - Anne Couturier-Tarrade
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, Jouy-en-Josas, 78350, France
- Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, Misons-Alfort, 94700, France
| | - Flemming R Cassee
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, RIVM, PObox1, Bilthoven, 3720 BA, the Netherlands
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Division Toxicology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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49
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Hussey MR, Enquobahrie DA, Loftus CT, MacDonald JW, Bammler TK, Paquette AG, Marsit CJ, Szpiro AA, Kaufman JD, LeWinn KZ, Bush NR, Tylavsky F, Zhao Q, Karr CJ, Sathyanarayana S. Associations of prenatal exposure to NO 2 and near roadway residence with placental gene expression. Placenta 2023; 138:75-82. [PMID: 37216796 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2023.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP), a common exposure, potentially impacts pregnancy through altered placental function. We investigated associations between prenatal TRAP exposure and placental gene expression. METHODS Whole transcriptome sequencing was performed on placental samples from CANDLE (Memphis, TN) (n = 776) and GAPPS (Seattle and Yakima, WA) (n = 205), cohorts of the ECHO-PATHWAYS Consortium. Residential NO2 exposures were computed via spatiotemporal models for full-pregnancy, each trimester, and the first/last months of pregnancy. Individual cohort-specific, covariate-adjusted linear models were fit for 10,855 genes and respective exposures (NO2 or roadway proximity [≤150 m]). Infant-sex/exposure interactions on placental gene expression were tested with interaction terms in separate models. Significance was based on false discovery rate (FDR<0.10). RESULTS In GAPPS, final-month NO2 exposure was positively associated with MAP1LC3C expression (FDR p-value = 0.094). Infant-sex interacted with second-trimester NO2 on STRIP2 expression (FDR interaction p-value = 0.011, inverse and positive associations among male and female infants, respectively) and roadway proximity on CEBPA expression (FDR interaction p-value = 0.045, inverse among females). In CANDLE, infant-sex interacted with first-trimester and full-pregnancy NO2 on RASSF7 expression (FDR interaction p-values = 0.067 and 0.013, respectively, positive among male infants and inverse among female infants). DISCUSSION Overall, pregnancy NO2 exposure and placental gene expression associations were primarily null, with exception of final month NO2 exposure and placental MAP1LC3C association. We found several interactions of infant sex and TRAP exposures on placental expression of STRIP2, CEBPA, and RASSF7. These highlighted genes suggest influence of TRAP on placental cell proliferation, autophagy, and growth, though additional replication and functional studies are required for validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Hussey
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Daniel A Enquobahrie
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Health Systems and Population Health, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christine T Loftus
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - James W MacDonald
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Theo K Bammler
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alison G Paquette
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Adam A Szpiro
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Joel D Kaufman
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kaja Z LeWinn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nicole R Bush
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San, Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Frances Tylavsky
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Qi Zhao
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Catherine J Karr
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
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50
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Ruis M, Hoffman K, Stapleton HM. Brominated flame retardants and legacy organochlorines in archived human placenta samples: Sex differences, temporal analysis and associations with infant birth weight. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 322:138170. [PMID: 36804493 PMCID: PMC10039416 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Perinatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) has been suggested to play a role in the etiology of adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study evaluated temporal changes in the accumulation of several classes of POPs, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and several organochlorine pesticides in human placenta and examined their associations with birth outcomes at delivery. Placental tissues (n = 99) previously collected and archived at the Duke University Medical Center from 2009 to 2015 were analyzed for 22 POPs using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The mean age of mothers was 30.6 years; 8% of newborns were characterized as low birthweight (<2500 g). Of the 22 POPs targeted in the analysis, only p,p'-DDE, BDE-47 and BDE-100 were detected in more than 50% of the samples, with median concentrations of 0.110, 0.310, and 0.033 ng/g wet weight, respectively. Placental PBDE concentrations generally decreased over time, particularly BDE-47. Placental tissues associated with female infants had significantly higher levels of BDE-100 than placental tissues associated with male infants (p = 0.02) and a similar, but not statistically significant trend was observed for BDE-47 (p = 0.07). Multivariate regression models revealed that placental BDE-47 concentrations were associated with a significantly lower birthweight among male, but not female infants. A similar, although non-statistically significant, trend was observed for other POPs, further suggesting sex-specific associations between gestational exposure to POPs and birthweight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Ruis
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Levine Science Research Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Kate Hoffman
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Levine Science Research Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA; Children's Health Discovery Initiative, Duke School of Medicine, North Carolina, United States
| | - Heather M Stapleton
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Levine Science Research Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
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