Perturbations of normal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) physiology occur in a number of pathological conditions, including diabetes and preeclampsia. These pathologies are associated with elevated levels of inappropriately folded proteins and induction of ER stress. Accumulation of misfolded proteins induces the unfolded protein response which increases ER protein folding capacity and promotes ER-associated degradation of unfolded proteins. Glucocorticoids are essential for maturation of fetal organs, however excess exposure during pregnancy retards fetal and placental growth. Glucocorticoids also induce ER stress within macrophages, which reside within the placenta, and activate immune responses which can lead to oxidative stress and subsequent placental dysfunction. We hypothesised that excess glucocorticoid exposure would induce ER stress within the placenta and contribute to restriction of fetal and placental growth. This study compared placentas (n = 6/group) for control (Con) and dexamethasone-exposed pregnancies (Dex; 0.75 μg/mL drinking water from day 13 of gestation) at days 16 and 22 of gestation in the rat (term = 23 days). Placentas were dissected into junctional (JZ) and labyrinth (LZ) zones for separate analysis. Quantitative PCR was used to determine expression of mRNA for markers of ER stress, including heat shock factors (HSF-1 and HSF-2), heat shock proteins (HSP-70 and HSP-90) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP10). HSF-1 expression increased 2- to 4-fold from day 16 to 22 in both placental zones, but was not increased by glucocorticoids. Dex-exposure increased HSP-70 expression 2- to 3-fold in the LZ at both days of gestation, indicative of an ER stress response. Similar patterns for JZ expression of HSP-70 were observed. JZ expression of HSP-90 was also upregulated by Dex at day 22 but not day 16. CHOP10 was not induced by Dex-administration in either zone at either gestational time, which suggests that rather than activation of the ATF6/PERK pathway, the activation of ER stress is likely to be via XBP1 induction.
Maternal obesity interrupts the coordination of the unfolded protein response and heat shock response in the postnatal developing hypothalamus of male offspring in mice