Project description:Every year, about 18 million babies are born from mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). While diabetic symptoms usually resolve after delivery, lasting complications can occur for both mother and child, including fetal overgrowth, type 2 diabetes (T2D), cardiovascular diseases, and obesity. The rapid progression of GDM is unique to pregnancies, and likely arises from placental dysfunction. Indeed, stress, nutrition and fetal gender are thought to trigger changes in placental endocrine function, including metabolic hormones and inflammatory cytokines, potentially causing GDM. Nutrient-sensing O-GlcNAcylation and its enzyme O-GlcNAc Transferase (OGT, X-linked) has been previously identified as a placental biomarker of maternal stress particularly deleterious for male offspring. Thus, we wondered whether O-GlcNAcylation participate in GDM development in a sex-dependent manner. After demonstrating that OGT is largely downregulated in male GDM compared to healthy placentas, we knocked down OGT in male trophoblastic cells. We observed changes in placental hormones, cytokines and nutrient-sensing pathways, correlating with previously demonstrated disruption in GDM placentas. Altogether, this study demonstrates that OGT and O-GlcNAcylation are partly responsible for changes observed in GDM placenta and might be the cause of sexual dimorphism observed in this pathology.
Project description:A physiological state of insulin resistance is required to preferentially direct maternal nutrients toward the feto-placental unit, allowing adequate growth of the fetus. When women develop gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), insulin resistance is more severe and disrupts the intrauterine milieu, resulting in accelerated fetal development with increased risk of macrosomia. As a natural interface between mother and fetus, the placenta is the obligatory target of such environmental changes. However, the molecular basis for the imbalance that leads to fetal, neonatal, and adult metabolic compromises is not well understood. We report that GDM elicits major changes in the expression profile of placental genes with a prominent increase in markers and mediators of inflammation. Within the 435 transcripts reproducibly modified, genes for stress-activated and inflammatory responses represented the largest functional cluster (18.5% of regulated genes). Upregulation of interleukins, leptin, and tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} receptors and their downstream molecular adaptors indicated an activation of pathways recruiting stress-activated protein/c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases. Transcriptional activation of extracellular matrix components and angiogenic activators pointed to a major structural reorganization of the placenta. Thus, placental transcriptome emerges as a primary target of the altered environment of diabetic pregnancy. The genes identified provide the basis to elucidate links between inflammatory pathways and GDM-associated insulin resistance. Keywords: other
2005-07-18 | GSE2956 | GEO
Project description:Gestational diabetes and placental gene expression
Project description:Sexual dimorphism in placental physiology during development affects the functionality of placental adaptation during adverse pregnancy, affecting fetal growth, development, and eventually fetal programming, which have long-term effects on the offspring’s adult life. However, studies focusing on the phenomenon and relationship between sex-specific placental adaptation and consequent altered fetal development are still elusive. Here, we established a prenatal maternal stress model by administering lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to pregnant ICR mice at the mid-gestational stage. To verify the appropriateness of the animal model to study sex differences in the sub-optimal uterus milieu, pregnancy complications were examined. To elucidate global transcriptomic changes occurring in the placenta, total RNA sequencing was performed in female and male placentas. LPS exposure at the mid-gestational stage induced placental inflammation in both sexes. In utero inflammatory conditions resulted in intrauterine fetal growth restriction and impaired placental development in a sex-specific manner depending on the dose of LPS. Sex-biased placental pathology was observed in the junctional zone and the labyrinth layer. Placental transcriptome analysis revealed widespread disparity in protein-coding and long non-coding genes between female and male placentas, presenting the relationship between morphology and function in a sex-specific IUGR model.
Project description:As one of the most common maternal comorbidities, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and preeclampsia (PE) are associated with maternal and infant health. Although the pathogenesis of PE and GDM remains controversial, oxidative stress is thought to be involved in the underlying pathology of GDM and PE. Protein lysine acetylation (Kac) plays an important regulatory role in biological processes. There is little data regarding the association of the maternal acetylome with GDM and PE. This study aimed to assess the multi-omics (proteome and acetylome) potential value in the underlying pathology for GDM and PE by label-free quantification proteomics technology. In our study, we included placental tissue from healthy individuals (n=6), GDM patients (n=6), and PE patients (n=6). We identified 22 overlapping DEPs (differentially expressed proteins) and 192 overlapping DAPs (differentially acetylated proteins) between the GDM and PE groups. Furthermore, 192 overlapping DAPs were mainly enriched in endoplasmic reticulum stress and ferroptosis pathways. Interestingly, endoplasmic reticulum stress, ferroptosis, and oxidative stress are believed to be related to each other. We also identified that acetylation of the HSP90AA1, HSPA8, PDIA3, GPX4, TF, and CP might serve as novel markers and better therapeutic targets in both complications. We thoroughly analyzed the key characteristics of proteome and acetylome in GDM and PE placental tissues, which may be useful for exploring the underlying pathology and discovering new biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Project description:Context: Context: Gestational diabetes (GDM) has profound effects on the intrauterine metabolic milieu and is linked to obesity and diabetes in offspring, but the mechanisms driving these effects remain largely unknown. Alterations gene expression in amniocytes exposed to GDM in utero may identify potential mechanisms leading to metabolic dysfunction later in life. Objective: Objective: To profile changes in the transcriptome in human amniocytes exposed to GDM Methods: A nested case-control study was performed in second trimeseter amniocytes matched for offspring sex, maternal race/ethnicity, maternal age, gestational age at amniocentesis, gestational age at birth and gestational diabetes status. Sex-specific RNA-sequencing was completed and gene expression changes were identified. Results: Expression of interferon-stimulated genes was increased in GDM amniocytes accounting for 6 of the top 10 altered genes (q<0.05). Enriched biological pathways in GDM anmiocytes included pathways involving inflammation, the interferon response, fatty liver disease, monogenic diabetes and atherosclerosis. Conclusion: In a unique repository of human amniocytes exposed to GDM in utero, trancriptome analysis identified enrichment of inflammation and interferon-related pathways.
Project description:Chronic inflammation during placental malaria (PM) caused by Plasmodium falciparum is most frequent in first-time mothers and is associated with poor maternal and fetal outcomes. In the first genome wide analysis of the local human response to sequestered malaria parasites, we identified genes associated with chronic PM, then localized the corresponding proteins and immune cell subsets in placental cryosections. Experiment Overall Design: Placental samples from twenty first-time mothers were selected based on placental malaria (PM) status and RNA quality. Ten had active PM-episodes, seven of which had inflammatory cells on histology. Of the ten PM-negative women, five had histological evidence of a past PM-episode, including one with inflammatory cells.
Project description:Pancreatic β-cell function impairment is a key mechanism for developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Maternal and placental exosomes regulate maternal and placental responses during hyperglycemia. Studies have associated exosomal micro RNAs (miRNAs) with GDM development. To date, no studies have been reported that evaluate the profile of miRNAs present in maternal and placental exosomes in the early stages of gestation from pregnancies that develop GDM. We used microarrays to assess whether early pregnancy maternal and placental exosomal miRNA profiles vary according to pancreatic β-cell function in women who will develop GDM (preGDM).
Project description:The placenta is a potent endocrine organ that secretes hormones with metabolic effects into maternal circulation. On the other hand, the liver, which is the main detoxification organ of the body, plays a key role in regulating maternal glucose and insulin metabolism during pregnancy. Failures in the production of placental hormones and/or the liver to adapt its structure and function to pregnancy can result in metabolic diseases such as gestational diabetes. Previous work has shown that the imprinted Igf2-H19 locus is involved in controlling placental endocrine function in mice. This study used conditional mis-expression of the Igf2-H19 locus to induce placental endocrine malfunction and study its consequences on hepatic gene regulation during pregnancy.