Adverse neonatal outcomes are associated with a sex-specific placental inflammatory profile
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PROVIDER: PRJNA1102426 | ENA |
REPOSITORIES: ENA
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Project description:Background and objective: The placenta is crucial for fetal development; altered function is associated with complications and adverse neonatal outcomes. Our goal was to ascertain changes in the placental transcriptome in relation to neonatal outcome and fetal/placental sex. Study Design: 72 mother-baby dyads were included. Demographic, obstetrical, neonatal and infant health data were obtained through medical charts. Adverse neonatal outcome was defined as the presence of a pulmonary, cardiac, neurological or other health complication. Bulk RNA-sequencing of placental biopsies was obtained. P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Neonates experiencing adverse outcomes were more likely to be premature or have lower birth weights. Analysis of the placental transcriptome revealed a predominant inflammatory profile in pregnancies associated with adverse neonatal outcomes with the top pathways being related to immune and inflammatory responses. Amongst differently expressed genes (DEGs), 1237 were upregulated and 239 were downregulated in adverse vs no adverse outcomes. Furthermore, sex-specific differences in gene expression were observed and indicated that male and female placentas displayed unique DEGs in association with adverse outcomes. Indeed, no DEG was observed in female placentas when comparing those without vs with adverse neonatal outcomes, as opposed to 1279 DEGs in male placentas, of which 91% were up-regulated in adverse subgroups. Conclusions: These findings highlight that inflammatory pathways are upregulated in placentas in association with adverse neonatal outcomes, and showcase the importance of the fetal sex in understanding neonatal health. The placenta provides a unique tool for early identification of high-risk infants rapidly after delivery.
2025-07-28 | GSE264449 | GEO
Project description:Prenatal exposure to toxic metals is associated with altered placental function and adverse health outcomes. The underlying mechanisms linking in utero toxic metal exposures with later-in-life health remain unclear, though placental inflammation is posited as a potential driver. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether in utero metals presence is associated with sex-specific changes in placental protein expression. We hypothesized that sex-specific patterns of metal-associated placental protein expression would be observed, and metals presence would be positively associated with the altered expression of inflammation-associated pathways Using samples banked from the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn Study (ELGAN), umbilical cord tissue samples were analyzed via ICP-MS/MS for trace elements, and placental samples underwent a global untargeted proteomics analysis via LC-MS/MS. This work highlights the linkage between prenatal metals exposure and an altered placental proteome, revealing that metals in cord tissue were associated with largely distinct differences in placental protein expression, in a sexually-dimorphic manner.
2023-10-24 | PXD041694 | Pride
Project description:Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been exhaustively investigated during early pregnancy; however, their role later in gestation is poorly understood. Herein, we report that functional Tregs are reduced at the maternal-fetal interface in a subset of women with idiopathic preterm labor/birth (PTB), which is accompanied by a concomitant increase in Tc17 cells. In mice, depletion of functional Tregs during late gestation induced PTB and adverse neonatal outcomes, which were rescued by the adoptive transfer of such cells. Treg depletion did not alter obstetrical parameters in the mother; yet, it increased susceptibility to endotoxin-induced PTB. The mechanisms whereby the loss of Tregs induces adverse perinatal outcomes involved tissue-specific immune responses and mild systemic maternal inflammation together with dysregulation of developmental and cellular processes in the placenta, in the absence of intra-amniotic inflammation. These findings provide mechanistic evidence supporting a central role for Tregs in the pathophysiology of idiopathic PTB and adverse neonatal outcomes.
2020-06-04 | GSE145357 | GEO
Project description:Fetal growth restriction (FGR) develops when fetal nutrient availability is compromised and increases the risk for perinatal complications and predisposes for offspring obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life. Emerging evidence implicates changes in placental function in altered fetal growth and the subsequent development of adult disease. The susceptibility for disease in response to an adverse intrauterine environment differs distinctly between boys and girls, with girls typically having better outcomes. Here, we test the hypothesis that regulation of the placental transcriptome by moderate nutrient reduction is dependent on fetal sex. We used a non-human primate model of FGR in which maternal global food intake is reduced by 30% starting at gestational day (GD) 30. At GD 165 (term = GD 183) placental genome expression profiling was carried out followed by bioinformatics including pathway and network analysis. Surprisingly, there was no coordinated placental molecular response to decreased nutrient availability when analyzing the data without accounting for fetal sex. In contrast, female placentas exhibited a highly coordinated response that included up-regulation of genes in networks, pathways and functional groups related to programmed cell death and down-regulation of genes in networks, pathways and functional groups associated with cell proliferation. These changes were not apparent in the male placentas. Our data support the concept that female placentas initiate complex adaptive responses to an adverse intrauterine environment, which may contribute to increased survival and better pregnancy outcomes in girls. Total RNA obtained from 165dGA control female (n=3), control male (n=3), nutrient restricted female (n=3), and nutrient restricted male (n=3) pregnancies.
2013-12-06 | E-GEOD-40878 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Bacterial and viral infections of the placenta are associated with inflammation and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Hofbauer cells (HBCs) are specialised fetal-origin macrophages in the placental villi and are proposed to protect the fetus from vertical transmission of pathogens; however, they are poorly understood. Here, we have performed quantitative proteomics on term HBCs under resting conditions and following exposure to bacterial and viral pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and investigated the contribution of fetal sex to these responses. Resting HBCs expressed a plethora of proteins pertinent to macrophage function, including chemokines, cytokines, Toll-like receptors, and classical and non-classical major histocompatibility complex class I and II molecules. HBCs mounted divergent responses to bacterial versus viral PAMPs but exhibited protein expression changes suggestive of a switch towards a more pro-inflammatory phenotype. A comparison between male and female HBCs, showed that the latter mounted a much stronger and wider response. Sexual dimorphism in HBCs was primarily associated with lipid metabolism in males and cytoskeleton organisation in females. We provide a novel and comprehensive understanding regarding the phenotype of term placental macrophages and their sex-dependent responses to infectious triggers.
2022-10-31 | PXD033006 | Pride
Project description:Fetal growth restriction (FGR) develops when fetal nutrient availability is compromised and increases the risk for perinatal complications and predisposes for offspring obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life. Emerging evidence implicates changes in placental function in altered fetal growth and the subsequent development of adult disease. The susceptibility for disease in response to an adverse intrauterine environment differs distinctly between boys and girls, with girls typically having better outcomes. Here, we test the hypothesis that regulation of the placental transcriptome by moderate nutrient reduction is dependent on fetal sex. We used a non-human primate model of FGR in which maternal global food intake is reduced by 30% starting at gestational day (GD) 30. At GD 165 (term = GD 183) placental genome expression profiling was carried out followed by bioinformatics including pathway and network analysis. Surprisingly, there was no coordinated placental molecular response to decreased nutrient availability when analyzing the data without accounting for fetal sex. In contrast, female placentas exhibited a highly coordinated response that included up-regulation of genes in networks, pathways and functional groups related to programmed cell death and down-regulation of genes in networks, pathways and functional groups associated with cell proliferation. These changes were not apparent in the male placentas. Our data support the concept that female placentas initiate complex adaptive responses to an adverse intrauterine environment, which may contribute to increased survival and better pregnancy outcomes in girls.
2013-12-06 | GSE40878 | GEO
Project description:Obesity during pregnancy is related to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Factors involved in these outcomes may include increased maternal insulin resistance, inflammation, oxidative stress and nutrient mishandling. The placenta is the primary determinant of fetal outcomes, and its function can be impacted by maternal obesity. The aim of this study in mice was to determine the effect of obesity on maternal lipid handling, inflammatory and redox state, and placental oxidative stress, inflammatory signalling, and gene expression relative to female and male fetal growth. Here we showed that HFHS diet induced, in the dams, hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress (reduced catalase, elevated protein oxidation) and activation of pro-inflammatory pathways (p38-MAPK) along with imbalanced circulating cytokine concentrations (increased IL-6 and decreased IL-5 and IL-17A). HFHS fetuses were asymmetrically growth-restricted, showing sex-specific changes in circulating cytokines (GM-CSF, TNF-a, IL-6 and IFN-g). Morphology of the placenta Lz was modified by a HFHS diet, in association with sex-specific alterations in the expression of genes and proteins implicated in oxidative stress, inflammation, and stress signalling. Placental gene expression changes were comparable to that seen in models of intrauterine inflammation and were related to a transcriptional network involving transcription factors, LYL1 and PLAG1. In summary, this study shows that fetal growth restriction with maternal obesity is related to elevated oxidative stress, inflammatory pathways, and sex-specific placental changes. Our data are important given the marked consequences and the rising rates of obesity worldwide.
2024-05-01 | GSE262011 | GEO
Project description:Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with adverse obstetric and postnatal metabolic health outcomes, but the mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the toxicological pathways by which PM2.5 damaged placental trophoblasts in vivo and in vitro. We confirmed that PM2.5 induced adverse gestational outcomes such as increased fetal mortality rates, decreased fetal number and weight, damaged placental structure, and increased apoptosis of trophoblasts. Additionally, PM2.5 induced dysfunction of the trophoblast cell line HTR8/SVneo, including in its proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration and angiogenesis. Moreover, we comprehensively analyzed the transcriptional landscape of HTR8/SVneo cells exposed to PM2.5 through RNA-Seq and observed that PM2.5 triggered overexpression of pathways involved in oxidative stress and mitochondrial apoptosis to damage HTR8/SVneo cell biological functions through CYP1A1. Mechanistically, PM2.5 stimulated KLF9, a transcription factor identified as binding to CYP1A1 promoter region, which further modulated the CYP1A1-driven downstream phenotypes. Together, this study demonstrated that the KLF9/CYP1A1 axis played a crucial role in the toxic progression of PM2.5 induced adverse pregnancy outcomes, suggesting adverse effects of environmental pollution on pregnant females and putative targeted therapeutic strategies.
2023-08-01 | GSE237795 | GEO
Project description:Phthalates are ubiquitous plasticizer chemicals found in consumer products. Exposure to phthalates during pregnancy has been associated with adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes and differences in placental gene expression in human studies. The objective of this research was to evaluate global changes in placental gene expression via RNA sequencing in two placental cell models following exposure to the phthalate metabolite mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP). HTR-8/SVneo and primary syncytiotrophoblast cells were exposed to three concentrations (1, 90, 180µM) of MEHP for 24 hours with DMSO (0.1%) as a vehicle control. mRNA and lncRNAs were quantified using paired end RNA sequencing, followed by identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and significant KEGG pathways and enriched transcription factors (TFs). MEHP caused gene expression changes across all concentrations for HTR-8/SVneo and primary syncytiotrophoblast cells. Sex-stratified analysis of primary cells identified different patterns of sensitivity in response to MEHP dose by sex, with male placentas being more responsive to MEHP exposure. Pathway analysis identified 11 KEGG pathways significantly associated with at least one concentration in both cell types. Four ligand-inducible nuclear hormone TFs (PPARG, PPARD, ESR1, AR) were enriched in at least three treatment groups. Overall, we demonstrated that MEHP differentially affects placental gene expression based on concentration, fetal sex, and trophoblast cell type. This study confirms prior studies as enrichment of nuclear hormone TFs were concordant with previously published mechanisms of phthalate disruption, and generates new hypotheses, as we identified many pathways and genes not previously linked to phthalate exposure.
2023-05-01 | GSE217210 | GEO
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.
2021-08-26 | GSE182462 | GEO