Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jacopo Troisi, Steven J. K. Symes, Martina Lombardi, Pierpaolo Cavallo, Angelo Colucci, Giovanni Scala, David C. Adair, Maurizio Guida, Sean M. Richards
Summary: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a condition that leads to high neonatal mortality and morbidity. The mechanisms behind FGR are not fully understood. In this study, metabolites were extracted from placentas of 493 non-complicated pregnancies using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that certain metabolites were significantly different in placentas of low birth weight (LBW) and small for gestational age (SGA) newborns compared to non-LBW and adequate for gestational age (AGA) newborns. These findings indicate that metabolic pathways related to hypoxia response, amino acid uptake, and inflammation play a role in FGR.
Article
Developmental Biology
Kirstine Baadsgaard, Ditte N. Hansen, David A. Peters, Jens B. Frokjaer, Marianne Sinding, Anne Sorensen
Summary: This study aimed to describe T2* weighted MRI in selected fetal organs in normal pregnancies, and investigate the correlation between fetal organ T2* and placental T2*, birthweight deviation, and redistribution of fetal blood flow. The results showed a negative correlation between fetal organ T2* and gestational age in normal birthweight pregnancies. There was a significant correlation between fetal organ T2* z-score and birthweight group in the fetal heart, kidney, lung, and spleen. Additionally, fetal organ T2* was positively correlated with placental function outcomes and showed a significant correlation with fetal blood flow redistribution in the fetal heart, kidneys, and spleen.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Victoria E. de Knegt, Paula L. Hedley, Jorgen K. Kanters, Ida N. Thagaard, Lone Krebs, Michael Christiansen, Ulrik Lausten-Thomsen
Summary: Leptin plays a crucial role in regulating pregnancy-related functions and its dysregulation during pregnancy can lead to pre-eclampsia and restricted fetal growth. The regulatory mechanisms involving leptin in pre-eclampsia are specific to each situation, and the dysregulation of leptin likely affects fetal growth through complex interactions with parallel pregnancy systems throughout pregnancy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Caroline Lin Lin Chua, Sebastian Kah Ming Khoo, Jun Long Ernest Ong, Gaurav Kumar Ramireddi, Tsin Wen Yeo, Andrew Teo
Summary: Malaria during pregnancy can lead to the development of placental malaria, which may impair placental development and function, ultimately causing placental insufficiency, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm delivery and low birth weight.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu-Feng Zhang, Hua-Long Zhu, Xiao-Feng Xu, Jin Zhang, Qing Ling, Shuang Zhang, Wei Chang, Yong-Wei Xiong, De-Xiang Xu, Hua Wang
Summary: This study investigates the role of placental lipophagy in cadmium-induced fetal growth restriction (FGR) through a case-control study, animal experiments, and primary human placental trophoblast cell cultures. The findings suggest an association between placental lipophagy and FGR. Additionally, exposure to cadmium during pregnancy induces FGR and placental lipophagy. Inhibition of placental lipophagy exacerbates cadmium-induced FGR, while activation of placental lipophagy alleviates FGR. Activation of Atg5-dependent placental lipophagy degrades lipid droplets to produce free cholesterol and promotes placental progesterone synthesis, which can reverse cadmium-induced FGR.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Wen-Juan Wang, Rong Huang, Tao Zheng, Qinwen Du, Meng-Nan Yang, Ya-Jie Xu, Xin Liu, Min-Yi Tao, Hua He, Fang Fang, Fei Li, Jian-Gao Fan, Jun Zhang, Laurent Briollais, Fengxiu Ouyang, Zhong-Cheng Luo
Summary: This study found that gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with DNA methylation changes in placental genes, but these changes are not correlated with metabolic health biomarkers in cord blood. Eleven differentially methylated genes were identified to be relevant to fetal growth.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Natasha de Alwis, Sally Beard, Natalie K. Binder, Natasha Pritchard, Tu'uhevaha J. Kaitu'u-Lino, Susan P. Walker, Owen Stock, Katie Groom, Scott Petersen, Amanda Henry, Joanne M. Said, Sean Seeho, Stefan C. Kane, Stephen Tong, Lisa Hui, Natalie J. Hannan
Summary: Elevated levels of OLAH in the placenta may be associated with placental dysfunction in pregnancies complicated by preterm preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. Further research is required to understand the role of OLAH in the placenta, and whether these changes are a maternal adaptation or consequence of disease.
Article
Developmental Biology
A. Arias, J. A. Schander, M. Bariani, F. Correa, A. P. Dominguez Rubio, M. Cella, C. B. Cymeryng, M. L. Wolfson, A. M. Franchi, J. Aisemberg
Summary: Maternal dexamethasone administration during late gestation results in fetal and placental growth restriction, potentially due to altered placental angiogenesis.
MOLECULAR HUMAN REPRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yingfen Ying, Peipei Pan, Cheng Zou, Yiyan Wang, Yunbing Tang, Xiaohong Hou, Yang Li, Qiang Xu, Liben Lin, Jieqiang Lu, Ren-shan Ge
Summary: This study found that TEB severely damages the structure and function of the placenta in pregnant rats, leading to placental hypertrophy, low birth weight, and feminization of male fetuses.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hao Zhang, Yi Zheng, Xiaoyun Liu, Xia Zha, Mabrouk Elsabagh, Yi Ma, Honghua Jiang, Hongrong Wang, Mengzhi Wang
Summary: This study investigated the potential relationship between oxidative stress, autophagy, and apoptosis in pregnant ewes exposed to BPA. The results showed that BPA exposure led to placental insufficiency, fetal growth restriction, autophagy, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. Additionally, the study revealed that autophagy could alleviate BPA-induced apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dayuan Shi, Xinyao Zhou, Luyao Cai, Xing Wei, Luye Zhang, Qianqian Sun, Fenhe Zhou, Luming Sun
Summary: Changes in placental DNA methylation patterns in sFGR may have functional implications for differentially methylated genes and regulatory regions. The study validates the presence of abnormally methylated CYP11A1 gene in the placenta of sFGR.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthias C. Schabel, Victoria H. J. Roberts, Karen J. Gibbins, Monica Rincon, Jessica E. Gaffney, Aaron D. Streblow, Adam M. Wright, Jamie O. Lo, Byung Park, Christopher D. Kroenke, Kathryn Szczotka, Nathan R. Blue, Jessica M. Page, Kathy Harvey, Michael W. Varner, Robert M. Silver, Antonio E. Frias
Summary: This study investigates the association between placental T2* measured by blood oxygen-level dependent magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-MRI) and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The results show that the evolution of placental T2* across gestation follows a sigmoid model and is significantly associated with adverse outcomes.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hua-Long Zhu, Xue-Ting Shi, Xiao-Feng Xu, Yong-Wei Xiong, Song-Jia Yi, Guo-Xiang Zhou, Wei-Bo Liu, Miao-Miao Huang, Lan Gao, Cheng Zhang, Ling-Li Zhao, De-Xiang Xu, Hua Wang
Summary: The study found that environmental cadmium exposure can lead to fetal growth restriction by activating PERK-regulated placental mitophagy and inhibiting P4 synthesis. Additionally, placental mitophagy is associated with reduced progesterone levels and all-cause fetal growth restriction.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jane K. Cleal, Kirsten R. Poore, Rohan M. Lewis
Summary: The placental exposome, which includes both direct and prior exposures during gestation, can influence placental function and affect an individual's susceptibility to cardio-metabolic disease later in life. Various exposures, such as maternal metabolic status, nutrition, stress, and toxins, can impact the placenta, leading to persistent effects on its function through epigenetic changes. Identifying the most influential exposures on placental function and offspring health is crucial for future research and personalized interventions.
MOLECULAR ASPECTS OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Caiyun Ge, Ting Geng, Lin Cheng, Yuanzhen Zhang
Summary: Maternal exposure to PCB118 was found to have adverse effects on placental angiogenesis and fetal growth. PCB118 exposure caused decreased fetal body and placental weights, increased rates of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), impaired placental histology, decreased number of blood vessels, and anomalous mRNA expression of genes related to angiogenesis in the placenta.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)