Project description:We evaluated transcriptional profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 54 pregnant women in Kenya, 19 of whom delivered preterm.
Project description:Pregnancy appears to accelerate mortality associated with infectious diseases; however, the underlying mechanism of the crosstalk between pregnancy and sepsis remains poorly understood. Integrated multiomics analysis of gut microbiome revealed that the abundances of Parabacteroides merdae and its-derived formononetin (FMN) were decreased during pregnancy. Here, we verified that gut microbiota dysbiosis during pregnancy exacerbated immune exhaustion caused by sepsis through accelerating macrophage pyroptosis. Mechanistically, FMN suppressed nucleus-accumulation of hnRNPUL2 to prevent it from binding to Nlrp3 promoter region, thus to inhibit priming of NLRP3 inflammasome. Genetic knockdown of murine hnRNPUL2 by an adeno-associated virus protected against sepsis. Intriguingly, the abundances of Parabacteroides merdae and FMN in feces were negatively correlated with the progression of septic patients. Our data highlighted the significance of FMN/hnRNPUL2/NLRP3 axis mediated by dysbiosis of Parabacteroides merdae in immune exhaustion of pregnant septic hosts, shedding light on promising therapeutic strategies for the treatment of sepsis.
Project description:Blood immunomonitoring uncovers pregnancy-induced immune programs and their dysregulation in lupus pregnancy destined for complications
Project description:Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an obligate intracellular parasite that can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly in early pregnancy. Previous studies have illustrated the landscape of decidual immune cells. However, the landscape of decidual immune cells in the maternal–fetal microenvironment during T. gondii infection remains unknown. In this study, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze the changes in human decidual immune cells following T. gondii infection. Our results showed that the proportion of 17 decidual immune cell clusters and the expression levels of 21 genes were changed after T. gondii infection. Differential gene analysis demonstrated that T. gondii infection induced the differential expression of 279, 312, and 380 genes in decidual NK, dMφ, and dT cells, respectively. Our findings first revealed that several previously unknown molecules in decidual immune cells changed following T. gondii infection. This result revealed that the function of maternal–fetal immune tolerance declined, whereas the killing ability of decidual immune cells enhanced, eventually contributing to the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The results of this study provide a valuable resource for uncovering several novel molecules that play an important role in the occurrence of abnormal pregnancy outcomes induced by T. gondii infection.
Project description:Physical activity is essential for maternal health during pregnancy, with WHO guidelines recommending 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week. Despite the established benefits, only 35% of pregnant women meet these guidelines, often due to fatigue, lack of time, and pregnancy discomfort. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), characterized by short bursts of intense exercise followed by recovery periods, offers a time-efficient alternative that has been shown to be safe and enjoyable for both mother and fetus. This study aims to analyze the changes induced by a HIIT program in the urine proteome of pregnant women using the SWATH-MS technique, providing insights into molecular processes influenced by exercise.We observed significant alterations in the urinary proteome after a single HIIT session, with a higher scale of differentially expressed proteins compared to after 8 weeks of regular HIIT training. Notable changes included proteins involved in calcium ion binding, enzyme inhibitory activity, and immune system pathways, particularly neutrophil degranulation. Proteins such as ARSA, NPC2, MME, and CD177 showed significant regulation, indicating metabolic adaptations and immune responses. The observed downregulation of proteins like TFF2, associated with insulin resistance, suggests potential benefits of HIIT in preventing gestational diabetes.Our findings demonstrate that while a single session of HIIT induces immediate metabolic and immune changes, regular HIIT leads to adaptations, reflected in a decreased number of altered proteins over time. This research provides a novel proteomic perspective on the impact of HIIT during pregnancy, underscoring its potential to improve maternal health through targeted metabolic and immune system adaptations. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore the long-term benefits of HIIT for pregnant women.
Project description:Rationale: Maternal immune responses can promote allergy development in offspring. Pilot data show that neonates of mother mice exposed during pregnancy to air pollution particles have increased allergic susceptibility. Objective: We investigated whether inflammatory response to titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles earlier considered immunologically ‘inert’ is enhanced during pregnancy. Methods: Pregnant BALB/c mice (or non-pregnant controls) received particle suspensions intranasally at day 14 of pregnancy. Lung inflammatory responses were evaluated 19 and 48 h after exposure. Results: Pregnant mice showed robust and persistent acute inflammatory responses after exposure to TiO2, while non-pregnant females had the expected minimal responses. Genomic profiling identified genes differentially expressed in pregnant lungs exposed to TiO2. Neonates of mothers exposed to TiO2 (but not PBS) developed increased susceptibility to allergens. Conclusion: Pregnancy enhances lung inflammatory responses to otherwise relatively innocuous inert particles. Keywords: Particles exposure, pregnancy vs normal
Project description:To investigate the effect of maternal inflammation during pregnancy on allergic reactions in offspring, we inoculated house dust mite and ovalbumin into offspring born to either control or LPS induced maternal immune activation dams and analyzed their lung immune cells.
Project description:Metabolic heterogeneity is a determinant of immune cell function. The normal physiological metabolic reprogramming of pregnancy that ensures the fuel requirements of mother and baby are met might also underpin changes in innate and adaptive immunity that occur with pregnancy and manifest as altered responses to pathogens and changes to autoimmune disease symptoms. Here, we use peripheral blood monocytes, susceptible to microenvironmentally determined reprogramming of metabolism, to determine if pregnancy at term provokes an altered metabolic profile that underpins functional change. Focusing on late gestation where any effect will be most profound, we reveal that monocytes lose M2-like and gain M1-like properties accompanied by reductions in mitochondrial mass, maximal respiration and cardiolipin content in pregnancy; glycolysis is unperturbed. We establish that muramyl dipeptide (MDP)-stimulated cytokine production relies on oxidative metabolism then show that reduced monocyte oxidative metabolism with pregnancy compromises the production of TNF and IL-6 in response to MDP but not LPS. Overall, mitochondrially centred metabolic capabilities of late gestation monocytes are downregulated revealing natural plasticity in monocyte phenotype and function that could reveal targets for improving pregnancy outcomes but also yield new therapeutic approaches to diverse metabolic and/or immune-mediated diseases beyond pregnancy.
Project description:Development of mammary secretory epithelium and its functional differentiation occur during pregnancy under combined actions of ovarian steroids, pituitary hormones and growth factors. If the effect of these molecules is relatively well known, effect of differentiation factors expressed locally is not enough characterized. To understand local regulation of mammary tissue development and differentiation we realized transcriptional analysis on 5 physiological stages (4 during pregnancy and 1 during lactation). An appropriate experimental design was drawn to follow gene expression profiles during differentiation of mammary tissue. Results showed that at mid-pregnancy, mammary tissue was enough defferentiated into secretory epithelium to express milk protein genes and genes of the immune response system actors. But the secretoty activation of mammary epithelium was done only after parturition and wwas characterized by the expression of lipidogenesis genes. Keywords: time course, mammary gland differentiation, goat, pregnancy 18 samples, loop design