Dataset Information

Placental Abnormalities are Associated With Specific Windows of Embryo Culture in a Mouse Model.

ABSTRACT: Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) employ gamete/embryo handling and culture in vitro to produce offspring. ART pregnancies have an increased risk of low birth weight, abnormal placentation, pregnancy complications, and imprinting disorders. Embryo culture induces low birth weight, abnormal placental morphology, and lower levels of DNA methylation in placentas in a mouse model of ART. Whether preimplantation embryos at specific stages of development are more susceptible to these perturbations remains unresolved. Accordingly, we performed embryo culture for several discrete periods of preimplantation development and following embryo transfer, assessed fetal and placental outcomes at term. We observed a reduction in fetal:placental ratio associated with two distinct windows of preimplantation embryo development, one prior to the morula stage and the other from the morula to blastocyst stage, whereas placental morphological abnormalities and reduced imprinting control region methylation were only associated with culture prior to the morula stage. Extended culture to the blastocyst stage also induces additional placental DNA methylation changes compared to embryos transferred at the morula stage, and female concepti exhibited a higher loss of DNA methylation than males. By identifying specific developmental windows of susceptibility, this study provides a framework to optimize further culture conditions to minimize risks associated with ART pregnancies.

SUBMITTER: Vrooman LA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9081528 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Placental Abnormalities are Associated With Specific Windows of Embryo Culture in a Mouse Model.

Vrooman Lisa A LA Rhon-Calderon Eric A EA Suri Kashviya V KV Dahiya Asha K AK Lan Yemin Y Schultz Richard M RM Bartolomei Marisa S MS

Frontiers in cell and developmental biology 20220425

Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) employ gamete/embryo handling and culture <i>in vitro</i> to produce offspring. ART pregnancies have an increased risk of low birth weight, abnormal placentation, pregnancy complications, and imprinting disorders. Embryo culture induces low birth weight, abnormal placental morphology, and lower levels of DNA methylation in placentas in a mouse model of ART. Whether preimplantation embryos at specific stages of development are more susceptible to these per ...[more]

PMID: 35547813

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundIn humans, stillbirth describes the death of a fetus before birth after 28 weeks gestation, and accounts for approximately 2.6 million deaths worldwide annually. In high-income countries, up to half of stillbirths have an unknown cause and are described as "unexplained stillbirths"; this lack of understanding impairs efforts to prevent stillbirth. There are also few animal models of stillbirth, but those that have been described usually have significant placental abnormalities. This study describes a novel mutant murine model of fetal death with atrial conduction block due to an ErbB2 missense mutation which is not associated with abnormal placental morphology.MethodsPhenotypic characterisation and histological analysis of the mutant mouse model was conducted. The mRNA distribution of the early cardiomyocyte marker Nkx2-5 was assessed via in situ hybridisation. Cardiac structure was quantified and cellular morphology evaluated by electron microscopy. Immunostaining was employed to quantify placental structure and cell characteristics on matched heterozygous and homozygous mutant placental samples.ResultsThere were no structural abnormalities observed in hearts of mutant embryos. Comparable Nkx2-5 expression was observed in hearts of mutants and controls, suggesting normal cardiac specification. Additionally, there was no significant difference in the weight, placenta dimensions, giant cell characteristics, labyrinth tissue composition, levels of apoptosis, proliferation or vascularisation between placentas of homozygous mutant mice and controls.ConclusionEmbryonic lethality in the ErbB2 homozygous mutant mouse cannot be attributed to placental pathology. As such, we conclude the ErbB2M802R mutant is a model of stillbirth with a non-placental cause of death. The mechanism of the atrial block resulting from ErbB2 mutation and its role in embryonic death is still unclear. Studying this mutant mouse model could identify candidate genes involved in stillbirth associated with structural or functional cardiac defects.

Dataset Information

Placental Abnormalities are Associated With Specific Windows of Embryo Culture in a Mouse Model.

Publications

Placental Abnormalities are Associated With Specific Windows of Embryo Culture in a Mouse Model.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets