Development of Structures and Transport Functions in the Mouse Placenta

Physiology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 180-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica D. Watson ◽  
James C. Cross

The placenta is essential for sustaining the growth of the fetus during gestation, and defects in its function result in fetal growth restriction or, if more severe, fetal death. Several molecular pathways have been identified that are essential for development of the placenta, and mouse mutants offer new insights into the cell biology of placental development and physiology of nutrient transport.

2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 728-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ram R Kalagiri ◽  
Niraj Vora ◽  
Jessica L Wilson ◽  
Syeda H Afroze ◽  
Venkata N Raju ◽  
...  

The interaction between pre-eclampsia and diabetes mellitus (DM) is far from being completely understood. In this study, we compared normal pregnancies with those complicated with pre-eclampsia, gestational DM, and/or pre-existing diabetes to assess the effects of hyperglycemia on placental development. AnInstitutional Review Board (IRB) approved retrospective cross-sectional study with 621 subjects was performed. Statistical analysis was performed using Duncan’s post hoc test and analysis of variance. Regardless of diabetes status, patients with pre-eclampsia delivered prematurely. Patients in the group with pre-eclampsia and pregestational diabetes delivered much earlier, at 35.0±0.4 weeks, when compared with the patients that had pre-eclampsia with gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia with no diabetes (*P<0.05 for each). Additionally, patients with pre-existing diabetes who developed pre-eclampsia delivered smaller babies than those with pre-existing diabetes without pre-eclampsia (1.00±0.03, P<0.05 for each). Pre-existing diabetes with added insult of pre-eclampsia led to fetal growth restriction. This outcome validates the understanding that elevated glucose earlier in pregnancy alters placentogenesis and leads to fetal growth restriction.


Author(s):  
Irene Maria Beune ◽  
Stefanie Elisabeth Damhuis ◽  
Wessel Ganzevoort ◽  
John Ciaran Hutchinson ◽  
Teck Yee Khong ◽  
...  

Context.— Fetal growth restriction is a risk factor for intrauterine fetal death. Currently, definitions of fetal growth restriction in stillborn are heterogeneous. Objectives.— To develop a consensus definition for fetal growth restriction retrospectively diagnosed at fetal autopsy in intrauterine fetal death. Design.— A modified online Delphi survey in an international panel of experts in perinatal pathology, with feedback at group level and exclusion of nonresponders. The survey scoped all possible variables with an open question. Variables suggested by 2 or more experts were scored on a 5-point Likert scale. In subsequent rounds, inclusion of variables and thresholds were determined with a 70% level of agreement. In the final rounds, participants selected the consensus algorithm. Results.— Fifty-two experts participated in the first round; 88% (46 of 52) completed all rounds. The consensus definition included antenatal clinical diagnosis of fetal growth restriction OR a birth weight lower than third percentile OR at least 5 of 10 contributory variables (risk factors in the clinical antenatal history: birth weight lower than 10th percentile, body weight at time of autopsy lower than 10th percentile, brain weight lower than 10th percentile, foot length lower than 10th percentile, liver weight lower than 10th percentile, placental weight lower than 10th percentile, brain weight to liver weight ratio higher than 4, placental weight to birth weight ratio higher than 90th percentile, histologic or gross features of placental insufficiency/malperfusion). There was no consensus on some aspects, including how to correct for interval between fetal death and delivery. Conclusions.— A consensus-based definition of fetal growth restriction in fetal death was determined with utility to improve management and outcomes of subsequent pregnancies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 98 (5) ◽  
pp. 695-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen J Gibbins ◽  
Katherine N Gibson-Corley ◽  
Ashley S Brown ◽  
Matthew Wieben ◽  
Richard C Law ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
EN Knyazev ◽  
SYu Paul

In humans, trophoblast hypoxia during placental development can be a cause of serious pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. The pathogenesis of these conditions is not fully clear and may be associated with changed expression of some genes and regulatory molecules, including miRNA, in trophoblast cells. The aim of this study was to analyze miRNA profiles and measure the expression of their target genes in a model of trophoblast hypoxia. Human choriocarcinoma BeWo b30 cells were used as a trophoblast model. Hypoxia was induced by cobalt chloride (CoCl2) and an oxyquinoline derivative. MRNA and miRNA expression profiles were evaluated by means of next generation sequencing (NGS); the expression of individual genes was analyzed by PCR. We studied the secondary structure of mRNAs of target genes for those miRNAs whose expression had changed significantly and analyzed potential competition between these miRNAs for the binding site. The observed changes in the expression of the key genes involved in the response to hypoxia confirmed the feasibility of using CoCl2 and the oxyquinoline derivative as hypoxia inducers. The analysis revealed an increase in miR-374 levels following the activation of the hypoxia pathway in our trophoblast model. The changes were accompanied by a reduction in FOXM1 mRNA expression; this mRNA is a target for hsa-miR-374a-5p and hsa-miR374b-5p, which can compete with hsa-miR-21-5p for the binding sites on FOXM1 mRNA. The involvement of FOXM1 in the regulation of the invasive cell potential suggests the role of miR-374 and FOXM1 in the pathogenesis of disrupted trophoblast invasion during placental development as predisposing for fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1775 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke Armistead ◽  
Leena Kadam ◽  
Sascha Drewlo ◽  
Hamid-Reza Kohan-Ghadr

The NFκB protein family regulates numerous pathways within the cell—including inflammation, hypoxia, angiogenesis and oxidative stress—all of which are implicated in placental development. The placenta is a critical organ that develops during pregnancy that primarily functions to supply and transport the nutrients required for fetal growth and development. Abnormal placental development can be observed in numerous disorders during pregnancy, including fetal growth restriction, miscarriage, and preeclampsia (PE). NFκB is highly expressed in the placentas of women with PE, however its contributions to the syndrome are not fully understood. In this review we discuss the molecular actions and related pathways of NFκB in the placenta and highlight areas of research that need attention


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Padma Murthi ◽  
Gayathri Rajaraman ◽  
Shaun Patrick Brennecke ◽  
Bill Kalionis

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is an adverse pregnancy outcome associated with significant perinatal and paediatric morbidity and mortality, and an increased risk of chronic disease later in adult life. One of the key causes of adverse pregnancy outcome is fetal growth restriction (FGR). While a number of maternal, fetal, and environmental factors are known causes of FGR, the majority of FGR cases remain idiopathic. These idiopathic FGR pregnancies are frequently associated with placental insufficiency, possibly as a result of placental maldevelopment. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of abnormal placental development in idiopathic FGR is, therefore, of increasing importance. Here, we review our understanding of transcriptional control of normal placental development and abnormal placental development associated with human idiopathic FGR. We also assess the potential for understanding transcriptional control as a means for revealing new molecular targets for the detection, diagnosis, and clinical management of idiopathic FGR.


2012 ◽  
Vol 303 (1) ◽  
pp. R86-R93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura C. Kusinski ◽  
Joanna L. Stanley ◽  
Mark R. Dilworth ◽  
Cassandra J. Hirt ◽  
Irene J. Andersson ◽  
...  

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is the inability of a fetus to reach its genetically predetermined growth potential. In the absence of a genetic anomaly or maternal undernutrition, FGR is attributable to “placental insufficiency”: inappropriate maternal/fetal blood flow, reduced nutrient transport or morphological abnormalities of the placenta (e.g., altered barrier thickness). It is not known whether these diverse factors act singly, or in combination, having additive effects that may lead to greater FGR severity. We suggest that multiplicity of such dysfunction might underlie the diverse FGR phenotypes seen in humans. Pregnant endothelial nitric oxide synthase knockout (eNOS−/−) dams exhibit dysregulated vascular adaptations to pregnancy, and eNOS−/− fetuses of such dams display FGR. We investigated the hypothesis that both altered vascular function and placental nutrient transport contribute to the FGR phenotype. eNOS−/− dams were hypertensive prior to and during pregnancy and at embryonic day (E) 18.5 were proteinuric. Isolated uterine artery constriction was significantly increased, and endothelium-dependent relaxation significantly reduced, compared with wild-type (WT) mice. eNOS−/− fetal weight and abdominal circumference were significantly reduced compared with WT. Unidirectional maternofetal 14C-methylaminoisobutyric acid (MeAIB) clearance and sodium-dependent 14C-MeAIB uptake into mouse placental vesicles were both significantly lower in eNOS−/− fetuses, indicating diminished placental nutrient transport. eNOS−/− mouse placentas demonstrated increased hypoxia at E17.5, with elevated superoxide compared with WT. We propose that aberrant uterine artery reactivity in eNOS−/− mice promotes placental hypoxia with free radical formation, reducing placental nutrient transport capacity and fetal growth. We further postulate that this mouse model demonstrates “uteroplacental hypoxia,” providing a new framework for understanding the etiology of FGR in human pregnancy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. e201800252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander M Tseng ◽  
Amanda H Mahnke ◽  
Alan B Wells ◽  
Nihal A Salem ◽  
Andrea M Allan ◽  
...  

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), like other pregnancy complications, can result in placental insufficiency and fetal growth restriction, although the linking causal mechanisms are unclear. We previously identified 11 gestationally elevated maternal circulating miRNAs (HEamiRNAs) that predicted infant growth deficits following PAE. Here, we investigated whether theseHEamiRNAs contribute to the pathology of PAE, by inhibiting trophoblast epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), a pathway critical for placental development. We now report for the first time that PAE inhibits expression of placental pro-EMT pathway members in both rodents and primates, and thatHEamiRNAs collectively, but not individually, mediate placental EMT inhibition.HEamiRNAs collectively, but not individually, also inhibited cell proliferation and the EMT pathway in cultured trophoblasts, while inducing cell stress, and following trophoblast syncytialization, aberrant endocrine maturation. Moreover, a single intravascular administration of the pooled murine-expressedHEamiRNAs, to pregnant mice, decreased placental and fetal growth and inhibited the expression of pro-EMT transcripts in the placenta. Our data suggest thatHEamiRNAs collectively interfere with placental development, contributing to the pathology of PAE, and perhaps also, to other causes of fetal growth restriction.


2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. R155-R165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethany Hart ◽  
Elizabeth Morgan ◽  
Emilyn U Alejandro

Fetal growth restriction is one of the most common obstetrical complications resulting in significant perinatal morbidity and mortality. The most frequent etiology of human singleton fetal growth restriction is placental insufficiency, which occurs secondary to reduced utero-placental perfusion, abnormal placentation, impaired trophoblast invasion and spiral artery remodeling, resulting in altered nutrient and oxygen transport. Two nutrient-sensing proteins involved in placental development and glucose and amino acid transport are mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and O-linked N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT), which are both regulated by availability of oxygen. Impairment in either of these pathways is associated with fetal growth restriction and accompanied by cellular stress in the forms of hypoxia, oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, metabolic dysfunction and nutrient starvation in the placenta. Recent evidence has emerged regarding the potential impact of nutrient sensors on fetal stress response, which occurs in a sexual dysmorphic manner, indicating a potential element of genetic gender susceptibility to fetal growth restriction. In this mini review, we focus on the known role of mTOR and OGT in placental development, nutrient regulation and response to cellular stress in human fetal growth restriction with supporting evidence from rodent models.


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