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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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Zhang M, Zhang Z, Li H, Xia Y, Xing M, Xiao C, Cai W, Bu L, Li Y, Park TE, Tang Y, Ye X, Lin WJ. Blockage of VEGF function by bevacizumab alleviates early-stage cerebrovascular dysfunction and improves cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Transl Neurodegener 2024; 13:1. [PMID: 38173017 PMCID: PMC10763201 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-023-00388-4] [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: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder and the predominant type of dementia worldwide. It is characterized by the progressive and irreversible decline of cognitive functions. In addition to the pathological beta-amyloid (Aβ) deposition, glial activation, and neuronal injury in the postmortem brains of AD patients, increasing evidence suggests that the often overlooked vascular dysfunction is an important early event in AD pathophysiology. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a critical role in regulating physiological functions and pathological changes in blood vessels, but whether VEGF is involved in the early stage of vascular pathology in AD remains unclear. METHODS We used an antiangiogenic agent for clinical cancer treatment, the humanized monoclonal anti-VEGF antibody bevacizumab, to block VEGF binding to its receptors in the 5×FAD mouse model at an early age. After treatment, memory performance was evaluated by a novel object recognition test, and cerebral vascular permeability and perfusion were examined by an Evans blue assay and blood flow scanning imaging analysis. Immunofluorescence staining was used to measure glial activation and Aβ deposits. VEGF and its receptors were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting. RNA sequencing was performed to elucidate bevacizumab-associated transcriptional signatures in the hippocampus of 5×FAD mice. RESULTS Bevacizumab treatment administered from 4 months of age dramatically improved cerebrovascular functions, reduced glial activation, and restored long-term memory in both sexes of 5×FAD mice. Notably, a sex-specific change in different VEGF receptors was identified in the cortex and hippocampus of 5×FAD mice. Soluble VEGFR1 was decreased in female mice, while full-length VEGFR2 was increased in male mice. Bevacizumab treatment reversed the altered expression of receptors to be comparable to the level in the wild-type mice. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis of transcriptomic changes revealed that bevacizumab effectively reversed the changes in the gene sets associated with blood-brain barrier integrity and vascular smooth muscle contraction in 5×FAD mice. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated the mechanistic roles of VEGF at the early stage of amyloidopathy and the protective effects of bevacizumab on cerebrovascular function and memory performance in 5×FAD mice. These findings also suggest the therapeutic potential of bevacizumab for the early intervention of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhang
- Brain Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Zhan Zhang
- Brain Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Nanhai Translational Innovation Center of Precision Immunology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Foshan, 528200, China
| | - Honghong Li
- Brain Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Yuting Xia
- Brain Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Nanhai Translational Innovation Center of Precision Immunology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Foshan, 528200, China
| | - Mengdan Xing
- Brain Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Nanhai Translational Innovation Center of Precision Immunology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Foshan, 528200, China
| | - Chuan Xiao
- Brain Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Nanhai Translational Innovation Center of Precision Immunology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Foshan, 528200, China
| | - Wenbao Cai
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Lulu Bu
- Brain Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Yi Li
- Brain Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Tae-Eun Park
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Information and Biotechnology, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Yamei Tang
- Brain Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
- Nanhai Translational Innovation Center of Precision Immunology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Foshan, 528200, China.
| | - Xiaojing Ye
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
- Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
| | - Wei-Jye Lin
- Brain Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
- Nanhai Translational Innovation Center of Precision Immunology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Foshan, 528200, China.
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Henry S, Kokity L, Pirity MK. Polycomb protein RYBP activates transcription factor Plagl1 during in vitro cardiac differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells. Open Biol 2023; 13:220305. [PMID: 36751888 PMCID: PMC9905990 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
RING1 and YY1 binding protein (RYBP) is primarily known to function as a repressor being a core component of the non-canonical polycomb repressive complexes 1 (ncPRC1s). However, several ncPRC1-independent functions of RYBP have also been described. We previously reported that RYBP is essential for mouse embryonic development and that Rybp null mutant embryonic stem cells cannot form contractile cardiomyocytes (CMCs) in vitro. We also showed that PLAGL1, a cardiac transcription factor, which is often mutated in congenital heart diseases (CHDs), is not expressed in Rybp-null mutant CMCs. However, the underlying mechanism of how RYBP regulates Plagl1 expression was not revealed. Here, we demonstrate that RYBP cooperated with NKX2-5 to transcriptionally activate the P1 and P3 promoters of the Plagl1 gene and that this activation is ncPRC1-independent. We also show that two non-coding RNAs residing in the Plagl1 locus can also regulate the Plagl1 promoters. Finally, PLAGL1 was able to activate Tnnt2, a gene important for contractility of CMCs in transfected HEK293 cells. Our study shows that the activation of Plagl1 by RYBP is important for sarcomere development and contractility, and suggests that RYBP, via its regulatory functions, may contribute to the development of CHDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surya Henry
- Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Centre, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 6726 Szeged, Hungary,Doctoral School in Biology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Lilla Kokity
- Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Centre, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 6726 Szeged, Hungary,Doctoral School in Biology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Melinda Katalin Pirity
- Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Centre, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
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Vu HT, Kaur H, Kies KR, Starks RR, Tuteja G. Identifying novel regulators of placental development using time-series transcriptome data. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:6/2/e202201788. [PMID: 36622342 PMCID: PMC9748866 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The placenta serves as a connection between the mother and the fetus during pregnancy, providing the fetus with oxygen, nutrients, and growth hormones. However, the regulatory mechanisms and dynamic gene interaction networks underlying early placental development are understudied. Here, we generated RNA-sequencing data from mouse fetal placenta at embryonic days 7.5, 8.5, and 9.5 to identify genes with timepoint-specific expression, then inferred gene interaction networks to analyze highly connected network modules. We determined that timepoint-specific gene network modules were associated with distinct developmental processes, and with similar expression profiles to specific human placental cell populations. From each module, we identified hub genes and their direct neighboring genes, which were predicted to govern placental functions. We confirmed that four novel candidate regulators identified through our analyses regulate cell migration in the HTR-8/SVneo cell line. Overall, we predicted several novel regulators of placental development expressed in specific placental cell types using network analysis of bulk RNA-sequencing data. Our findings and analysis approaches will be valuable for future studies investigating the transcriptional landscape of early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha Th Vu
- Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.,Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Haninder Kaur
- Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Kelby R Kies
- Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.,Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Rebekah R Starks
- Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.,Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Geetu Tuteja
- Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA .,Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
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6
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Starks RR, Kaur H, Tuteja G. Mapping cis-regulatory elements in the midgestation mouse placenta. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22331. [PMID: 34785717 PMCID: PMC8595355 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01664-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The placenta is a temporary organ that provides the developing fetus with nutrients, oxygen, and protection in utero. Defects in its development, which may be caused by misregulated gene expression, can lead to devastating outcomes for the mother and fetus. In mouse, placental defects during midgestation commonly lead to embryonic lethality. However, the regulatory mechanisms controlling expression of genes during this period have not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, we generated and analyzed ChIP-seq data for multiple histone modifications known to mark cis-regulatory regions. We annotated active and poised promoters and enhancers, as well as regions generally associated with repressed gene expression. We found that poised promoters were associated with neuronal development genes, while active promoters were largely associated with housekeeping genes. Active and poised enhancers were associated with placental development genes, though only active enhancers were associated with genes that have placenta-specific expression. Motif analysis within active enhancers identified a large network of transcription factors, including those that have not been previously studied in the placenta and are candidates for future studies. The data generated and genomic regions annotated provide researchers with a foundation for future studies, aimed at understanding how specific genes in the midgestation mouse placenta are regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah R Starks
- Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.,Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Haninder Kaur
- Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Geetu Tuteja
- Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA. .,Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.
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