Project description:Exposure to nanomaterials (NM) during sensitive stages of development may predispose organisms to diseases later in life. However, direct translocation of NM from mother to fetus through the placenta is limited. The present study tests the hypothesis that pulmonary exposure to NM and NM-induced stress, such as inflammation during gestation, can lead to secondary effects in the growing fetus. Time mated C57BL/6BomTac mice were exposed by intratracheal instillation to vehicle (Milli Q water) or one of three concentrations (2.75, 13.5 or 67 µg/animal) of carbon black Printex 90 (CB) dispersions on gestational days 7, 10, 15 and 18 to a total final dose of 11, 54 or 268 µg/animal. Male and female newborns were sacrificed on day 2 after birth (PND2, 4 days after the last maternal exposure) and dams were sacrificed after weaning of offspring (26-27 days post-exposure). Histopathology, DNA microarrays, pathway-specific RT-PCR arrays, focussed RT-PCR, and tissue protein analysis were employed to characterize pulmonary response in dams exposed to CB during gestation. Gene expression profiles in newborn livers were interpreted in light of toxic effects of CB to dams indicated by gene expression profiles of dam lungs. Although retention of CB particles was observed in dams from both medium and high dose groups, neutrophil-marked inflammation was significant only in the high dose group dams. Inflammation in dams was accompanied by altered expression of several cytokines and chemokines both at the transcriptional and tissue protein levels. Analysis of newborn livers by DNA microarrays revealed that female offspring were much more sensitive to maternal stress than males. Cellular signalling, inflammation, immune response, cell cycle and lipid metabolism were among the biological pathways affected in female offspring. Males however, responded with subtle changes in genes involved in metabolism. At present, the implications of altered biological pathways in offspring in response to in utero exposure to particles are not well understood. Further investigation will be required to determine if there are long term consequences to offspring in terms of health and responses to environmental stresses.

Project description:Exposure to nanomaterials (NM) during sensitive stages of development may predispose organisms to diseases later in life. However, direct translocation of NM from mother to fetus through the placenta is limited. The present study tests the hypothesis that pulmonary exposure to NM and NM-induced stress, such as inflammation during gestation, can lead to secondary effects in the growing fetus. Time mated C57BL/6BomTac mice were exposed by intratracheal instillation to vehicle (Milli Q water) or one of three concentrations (2.75, 13.5 or 67 µg/animal) of carbon black Printex 90 (CB) dispersions on gestational days 7, 10, 15 and 18 to a total final dose of 11, 54 or 268 µg/animal. Male and female newborns were sacrificed on day 2 after birth (PND2, 4 days after the last maternal exposure) and dams were sacrificed after weaning of offspring (26-27 days post-exposure). Histopathology, DNA microarrays, pathway-specific RT-PCR arrays, focussed RT-PCR, and tissue protein analysis were employed to characterize pulmonary response in dams exposed to CB during gestation. Gene expression profiles in newborn livers were interpreted in light of toxic effects of CB to dams indicated by gene expression profiles of dam lungs. Although retention of CB particles was observed in dams from both medium and high dose groups, neutrophil-marked inflammation was significant only in the high dose group dams. Inflammation in dams was accompanied by altered expression of several cytokines and chemokines both at the transcriptional and tissue protein levels. Analysis of newborn livers by DNA microarrays revealed that female offspring were much more sensitive to maternal stress than males. Cellular signalling, inflammation, immune response, cell cycle and lipid metabolism were among the biological pathways affected in female offspring. Males however, responded with subtle changes in genes involved in metabolism. At present, the implications of altered biological pathways in offspring in response to in utero exposure to particles are not well understood. Further investigation will be required to determine if there are long term consequences to offspring in terms of health and responses to environmental stresses. This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.

Project description:Objective: Procyanidins are polyphenolic bioactive compounds that exert beneficial effects against obesity and its related diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the supplementation with low doses of a grape seed procyanidin extract (GSPE) to dams during pre and postnatal periods has biological effects on their offspring at youth. Design: The metabolic imprinting effect of GSPE was evaluated in 30 days-old male offspring of four groups of rats that were fed either a standard diet (STD) or a high-fat diet (HFD) and supplemented with either GSPE at 25 mg per kg of body weight/day or vehicle during pregnancy and lactation. Results: A significant increase in the adiposity index and in the weight of all the white adipose tissue depots studied (retroperitoneal â??RWAT-, mesenteric â??MWAT-, epididymal â??EWAT- and inguinal â??IWAT-) was observed in offspring of dams fed with a HFD and treated with GSPE (HFT group), compared to the offspring of dams fed with the same diet and that do not received procyanidins (HF group). HFT animals also showed a higher number of cells in the EWAT, a sharply decrease of the circulating levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) as well as a moderate, but significant, decrease of plasma glycerol levels. The transcriptomic analysis performed in the EWAT showed 238 genes differentially expressed between HF and HFT animals, covering an entire range of processes related with the immune function and the inflammatory response (the metabolic pathway mainly reflected in the EWAT), adipose tissue remodeling and function, lipid and glucose homeostasis and metabolism of methyl groups. Conclusion: GSPE treatment to dams fed a HFD during pregnancy and lactation increases adiposity, decreases the circulating levels of MCP-1 and modulates the expression of key genes involved in the adipose tissue metabolism of their offspring. The microarray study was performed with the EWAT RNA samples of rats from the HF and the HFT groups (n=8 animals each).

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