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Cáceres D, Ochoa M, González-Ortiz M, Bravo K, Eugenín J. Effects of Prenatal Cannabinoids Exposure upon Placenta and Development of Respiratory Neural Circuits. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1428:199-232. [PMID: 37466775 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-32554-0_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis use has risen dangerously during pregnancy in the face of incipient therapeutic use and a growing perception of safety. The main psychoactive compound of the Cannabis sativa plant is the phytocannabinoid delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (A-9 THC), and its status as a teratogen is controversial. THC and its endogenous analogues, anandamide (AEA) and 2-AG, exert their actions through specific receptors (eCBr) that activate intracellular signaling pathways. CB1r and CB2r, also called classic cannabinoid receptors, together with their endogenous ligands and the enzymes that synthesize and degrade them, constitute the endocannabinoid system. This system is distributed ubiquitously in various central and peripheral tissues. Although the endocannabinoid system's most studied role is controlling the release of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system, the study of long-term exposure to cannabinoids on fetal development is not well known and is vital for understanding environmental or pathological embryo-fetal or postnatal conditions. Prenatal exposure to cannabinoids in animal models has induced changes in placental and embryo-fetal organs. Particularly, cannabinoids could influence both neural and nonneural tissues and induce embryo-fetal pathological conditions in critical processes such as neural respiratory control. This review aims at the acute and chronic effects of prenatal exposure to cannabinoids on placental function and the embryo-fetal neurodevelopment of the respiratory pattern. The information provided here will serve as a theoretical framework to critically evaluate the teratogen effects of the consumption of cannabis during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Cáceres
- Laboratorio de Sistemas Neurales, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Martín Ochoa
- Laboratorio de Sistemas Neurales, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Marcelo González-Ortiz
- Laboratorio de Investigación Materno-Fetal (LIMaF), Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Karina Bravo
- Laboratorio de Sistemas Neurales, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Providencia, Chile
| | - Jaime Eugenín
- Laboratorio de Sistemas Neurales, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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Lombó M, Giommi C, Paolucci M, Notarstefano V, Montik N, Delli Carpini G, Ciavattini A, Ragusa A, Maradonna F, Giorgini E, Carnevali O. Preeclampsia Correlates with an Increase in Cannabinoid Receptor 1 Levels Leading to Macromolecular Alterations in Chorionic Villi of Term Placenta. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:12931. [PMID: 36361721 PMCID: PMC9656520 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Preeclampsia is a human pregnancy-specific disease characterized by abnormal placentation that usually presents with maternal hypertension and proteinuria. The main hallmark of preeclampsia, impaired trophoblast migration, and the subsequent disruption of uterine arteries remodeling lead to several molecular alterations in the placental compartments with those occurring in the chorionic villi being of the utmost importance. Given the essential role of the endocannabinoid system during preimplantation and trophoblast migration, we have combined the histological and hyperspectral imaging analyses to shed light on the involvement of two cannabinoid receptors in the macromolecular alterations related to preeclampsia. The results obtained by immunohistochemistry showed a significant increase in the protein levels of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) in the preeclamptic chorionic villi. However, no changes were reported regarding transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV-1) levels either in the bulk placental samples or chorionic villi when comparing control and preeclamptic patients. Histological analysis and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRI) showed an increase in collagen deposition together with higher levels of lipid peroxidation and phosphorylated compounds in the pathological villi. Since CB1 enhancement has been described as promoting fibrosis and oxidative stress in several tissues, we proposed that the higher receptor abundance in preeclampsia could be triggering similar molecular effects in preeclamptic term placentas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Lombó
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Christian Giommi
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Michela Paolucci
- Department of Odontostomatological and Specialized Clinical Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60020 Ancona, Italy
| | - Valentina Notarstefano
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Nina Montik
- Department of Odontostomatological and Specialized Clinical Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60020 Ancona, Italy
| | - Giovanni Delli Carpini
- Department of Odontostomatological and Specialized Clinical Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60020 Ancona, Italy
| | - Andrea Ciavattini
- Department of Odontostomatological and Specialized Clinical Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60020 Ancona, Italy
| | - Antonio Ragusa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Campus Bio Medico di Roma, 00128 Roma, Italy
| | - Francesca Maradonna
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
- INBB—Consorzio Interuniversitario di Biosistemi e Biostrutture, 00136 Roma, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Giorgini
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Oliana Carnevali
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
- INBB—Consorzio Interuniversitario di Biosistemi e Biostrutture, 00136 Roma, Italy
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Serine Hydrolases in Lipid Homeostasis of the Placenta-Targets for Placental Function? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23126851. [PMID: 35743292 PMCID: PMC9223866 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The metabolic state of pregnant women and their unborn children changes throughout pregnancy and adapts to the specific needs of each gestational week. These adaptions are accomplished by the actions of enzymes, which regulate the occurrence of their endogenous substrates and products in all three compartments: mother, placenta and the unborn. These enzymes determine bioactive lipid signaling, supply, and storage through the generation or degradation of lipids and fatty acids, respectively. This review focuses on the role of lipid-metabolizing serine hydrolases during normal pregnancy and in pregnancy-associated pathologies, such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, or preterm birth. The biochemical properties of each class of lipid hydrolases are presented, with special emphasis on their role in placental function or dysfunction. While, during a normal pregnancy, an appropriate tonus of bioactive lipids prevails, dysregulation and aberrant signaling occur in diseased states. A better understanding of the dynamics of serine hydrolases across gestation and their involvement in placental lipid homeostasis under physiological and pathophysiological conditions will help to identify new targets for placental function in the future.
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