Shifts in ovine cardiopulmonary microRNA expression in late gestation and the perinatal period.
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ABSTRACT: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as important contributors to the regulation of early fetal cardiopulmonary development. However, miRNA expression profiles during late gestation and the early neonatal period are not fully elaborated in large mammals such as sheep (ovis aries). The aim of this study was to sequence miRNA from cardiopulmonary tissues in late gestation and neonate sheep to identify changes in miRNA expression.Illumina HiSeq next-generation deep sequencing (NGS) was performed on ovine tissues from the left (LV) and right ventricles (RV), lungs and pulmonary artery (PA) of preterm fetuses (128 days), near-term fetuses (140 days) (term = 148 days) and neonatal lambs (5 days). NGS reads were mapped to the sheep genome (OviAri) and published miRNA sequences.Of 1345 cardiopulmonary miRNAs that were sequenced, relatively few major shifts in miRNA expression were detected with increased age from near term to neonates, and were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR: bta-miR-146a (lung), bta-miR-22-3p (lung, LV), hsa-miR-335* (lung, PA), and miR-210 (lung, PA, LV).Sequencing of miRNA led to identification of four predominant miRNA in ovine cardiopulmonary tissues which alter expression during late gestation and the early neonatal period, concurrent with important functional changes in heart and lungs.
<h4>Background</h4>MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as important contributors to the regulation of early fetal cardiopulmonary development. However, miRNA expression profiles during late gestation and the early neonatal period are not fully elaborated in large mammals such as sheep (ovis aries). The aim of this study was to sequence miRNA from cardiopulmonary tissues in late gestation and neonate sheep to identify changes in miRNA expression.<h4>Methods</h4>Illumina HiSeq next-generation ...[more]
Project description:This study was designed to determine the effects of corticosteroids at MR in the late-gestation fetal lung. Since both the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) are expressed at relatively high levels in the fetal lung, endogenous corticosteroids may act at MR as well as GR in the preterm fetal lung. The GR agonist, betamethasone, the MR agonist, aldosterone, or both were infused intravenously for 48 h in ovine fetuses of approximately 130 days gestation. Effects on airway pressures during stepwise inflation of the in situ lung, expression of ENaC alpha (SCNN1A), ENaC beta (SCNN1B), and Na,K ATPase (ATP1A1), and elastin and collagen content were determined after the infusions. We found that aldosterone significantly reduced the airway pressure measured during the initial step in inflation of the lung, although aldosterone had no overall effect on lung compliance, nor did aldosterone induce expression of ENaC?, ENaC? or Na,K ATPase?1. Betamethasone significantly increased expression of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) subunit mRNAs, and collagen and elastin content in the lungs, although this dose of betamethasone also had no effect on lung compliance. There was no synergy between effects of the MR and GR agonists. Transcriptomic analysis suggested that although aldosterone did not alter genes in pathways related to epithelial sodium transport, aldosterone did alter genes in pathways involved in cell proliferation in the lungs. The results are consistent with corticosteroid-induced fluid reabsorption at birth through GR rather than MR, but suggest that MR facilitates lung maturation, and may contribute to inflation with the first breaths via mechanisms distinct from known aldosterone effects in other epithelia.
Project description:The period of development from the last two weeks of gestation through the first two weeks of life spans a period of great functional and metabolic challenge to the fetal and neonatal lamb heart. Important changes in gene expression occur to meet these challenges. On this study, septa from sheep hearts at 130 days gestation (n=6), term (n=8, gestational lenght is around 145 days) and 14-days-old lambs (n=8) were used to model the changes in gene expression patterns during the perinatal period using Agilent 15k ovine microarrays. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) determined five major patterns of co-expressed and functionally related genes during this critical period of cardiac transition.
Project description:The period of development from the last two weeks of gestation through the first two weeks of life spans a period of great functional and metabolic challenge to the fetal and neonatal lamb heart. Important changes in gene expression occur to meet these challenges. On this study, septa from sheep hearts at 130 days gestation (n=6), term (n=8, gestational lenght is around 145 days) and 14-days-old lambs (n=8) were used to model the changes in gene expression patterns during the perinatal period using Agilent 15k ovine microarrays. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) determined five major patterns of co-expressed and functionally related genes during this critical period of cardiac transition. Septum samples from the heart were collected from non-treated fetuses at 130 days of gestational age (GA130d, n=6) and term (n=8); and from naturally born 14-days-old lambs (Lamb, n=8). None of the ewes suffered gestational diseases or showed signs of impending labor.
Project description:BackgroundMajor changes in gene expression occur in the fetal brain to modulate the function of this organ postnatally. Thus, factors can alter the genomics of the fetal brain, predisposing to neurological disorders later in life. We hypothesized that the physiological dynamics of the immune system transcriptome of the fetal brain during the last stage of gestation will reveal patterns of immune function and development in the developing brain. In this study we applied weighted gene co-expression analysis of microarrays performed on ovine fetal brain samples, to model the changes in gene expression throughout the second half of gestation.ResultsClusters of co-expressed genes that strongly increase in expression toward the first day of extra-uterine life are related to the hematopoietic lineage, while activation of immune pathways is induced after birth. Moreover, the pattern of gene expression suggests induction of tolerance mechanisms, probably necessary to protect highly produced proteins--such as myelin basic protein--from an autoimmune attack.ConclusionsThis study provides insight into the dramatic changes in gene expression that take place in the brain during the fetal life, especially during the last stage of gestation, and suggests that the immune system may have an important role in maturation of the fetal brain, which if disrupted or altered, could have negative consequences in postnatal life.
Project description:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in regulating mammary gland development and lactation. We previously analyzed miRNA expression profiles in Laoshan dairy goat mammary glands at the early (20 d postpartum), peak (90 d postpartum) and late lactation (210 d postpartum) stages. To further enrich and clarify the miRNA expression profiles during the lactation physiological cycle, we sequenced miRNAs in the mammary gland tissues of Laoshan dairy goats at three newly selected stages: the late lactation (240 d postpartum), dry period (300 d postpartum) and late gestation (140 d after mating) stages. We obtained 4038 miRNAs and 385 important miRNA families, including mir-10, let-7 and mir-9. We also identified 754 differentially expressed miRNAs in the mammary gland tissue at the 3 different stages and 6 groups of miRNA clusters that had unique expression patterns. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that GO terms such as mammary gland development (GO:0030879) and mammary gland morphogenesis (GO:0060443) and important signaling pathways, including the insulin signaling pathway (chx04910), hippo signaling pathway (chx04390) and estrogen signaling pathway (chx04915), were enriched. We screened miRNAs and potential target genes that may be involved in the regulation of lactation, mammary gland growth and differentiation, cell apoptosis, and substance transport and synthesis and detected the expression patterns of important genes at the three stages. These miRNAs and critical target genes may be important factors for mammary gland development and lactation regulation and potentially valuable molecular markers, which may provide a theoretical reference for further investigation of mammary gland physiology.
Project description:To examine changes in skinfolds in late gestation in healthy women.Skinfold measures were performed in 39 women at 30.8 (mean) and 37.7 weeks gestation. Fat mass (kg) and sum of three skinfolds were calculated.A decrease in skinfold thickness was observed in 21 women (-3.1±2.1 mm) in late gestation, whereas 18 women had an increase (4.3±3.2 mm), P<0.001. The group of women who lost body fat (decrease in skinfold thickness) had a trend toward greater pregravid body mass index (BMI, 25 vs 22 kg/m(2), P=0.06), and gained less weight in late gestation (3.0 vs 4.3 kg, P=0.042). On multiple regression, maternal age and gestational weight gain were positively correlated with fat mass accrual, whereas pregravid BMI and dietary fiber were negative determinants of late gestational fat mass.Increases in maternal fat mass in late gestation were related to maternal age and gestational weight gain, whereas decreases were related to increased pregravid BMI and dietary fiber.
Project description:Fetal hypoxemia is associated with pregnancy conditions that cause an early activation of fetal glucose production. However, the independent role of hypoxemia to activate this pathway is not well understood. We hypothesized that fetal hypoxemia would activate fetal glucose production by decreasing umbilical glucose uptake and increasing counter-regulatory hormone concentrations. We induced hypoxemia for 9 days with maternal tracheal N2 gas insufflation to reduce maternal and fetal arterial Po2 by ~20% (HOX) compared with fetuses from ewes receiving intratracheal compressed air (CON). At 0.9 of gestation, fetal metabolic studies were performed (n = 7 CON, 11 HOX). Umbilical blood flow rates, net fetal oxygen and glucose uptake rates, and fetal arterial plasma glucose concentrations were not different between the two groups. Fetal glucose utilization rates were lower in HOX versus CON fetuses but not different from umbilical glucose uptake rates, demonstrating the absence of endogenous glucose production. In liver tissue, mRNA expression of gluconeogenic genes G6PC (P < 0.01) and PCK1 (P = 0.06) were six- and threefold greater in HOX fetuses versus CON fetuses. Increased fetal norepinephrine and cortisol concentrations and hepatic G6PC and PCK1 expression were inversely related to fetal arterial Po2. These findings support a role for fetal hypoxemia to act with counter-regulatory hormones to potentiate fetal hepatic gluconeogenic gene expression. However, in the absence of decreased net fetal glucose uptake rates and plasma glucose concentrations, hypoxemia-induced gluconeogenic gene activation is not sufficient to activate fetal glucose production.
Project description:The mammary gland redeveloped to the pre-pregnancy state during involution, which shows that the mammary cells have the characteristics of remodeling. The rapidity and degree of mammary gland involution are different between mice and dairy livestock (dairy cows and dairy goats). However, the molecular genetic mechanism of miRNA in involution and remodeling of goat mammary gland has not yet been clarified. Therefore, this study carried out the RNA-sequencing of nonlactating mammary gland tissue of dairy goats in order to reveal the transcriptome characteristics of miRNA in nonlactating mammary tissues and clarify the molecular genetic mechanism of miRNA in mammary cell involution and remodeling.
Project description:Acute fetal hypoxia is a form of fetal stress that stimulates renal vasoconstriction and ischemia as a consequence of the physiological redistribution of combined ventricular output. We have demonstrated that hypoxia in late ovine gestation induces inflammation in the brain that is ameliorated by treatment with ketamine. We hypothesized that the fetal kidney would also respond to hypoxia with an increase in the expression of inflammatory genes, and that ketamine (an N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist) would reduce or block this response. Enriched biological processes for the 427 upregulated genes were immune and inflammatory responses and for the 946 down-regulated genes were metabolic processes. Ketamine countered the effects of hypoxia on upregulated immune/inflammatory responses as well as the down-regulated metabolic responses. We conclude that our transcriptomics modeling predicts that hypoxia activates inflammatory pathways and reduces metabolism in the fetal kidney cortex, and ketamine blocks or ameliorates this response. The results suggest that ketamine may have therapeutic potential for protection from ischemic renal damage.
Project description:Acute fetal hypoxia is a form of fetal stress that stimulates renal vasoconstriction and ischemia as a consequence of the physiological redistribution of combined ventricular output. We have demonstrated that hypoxia in late ovine gestation induces inflammation in the brain that is ameliorated by treatment with ketamine. We hypothesized that the fetal kidney would also respond to hypoxia with an increase in the expression of inflammatory genes, and that ketamine (an N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist) would reduce or block this response. Enriched biological processes for the 427 upregulated genes were immune and inflammatory responses and for the 946 down-regulated genes were metabolic processes. Ketamine countered the effects of hypoxia on upregulated immune/inflammatory responses as well as the down-regulated metabolic responses. We conclude that our transcriptomics modeling predicts that hypoxia activates inflammatory pathways and reduces metabolism in the fetal kidney cortex, and ketamine blocks or ameliorates this response. The results suggest that ketamine may have therapeutic potential for protection from ischemic renal damage. At the time of surgery, fetuses were randomly assigned to one of the four groups (n=3-4/group): normoxic control, normoxia+ketamine, hypoxic control, and hypoxia+ketamine. Hypoxia was induced for 30 min in chronically catheterized fetal sheep (125±3 d; term=145-147d), with or without ketamine (3 mg/kg) administered intravenously to the fetus 10 min prior to hypoxia. Fetuses were euthanized 24 hours after the onset of hypoxia, and the kidney cortex were collected for RNA extraction and gene array studies. Gene expression was analyzed using ovine Agilent 15.5 k array and validated with qPCR. Significant differences in gene expression between groups were determined with t-statistics using the limma package for R (Pâ¤0.05).