Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christina Stern, Sarah Schwarz, Gerit Moser, Silvija Cvitic, Evelyn Jantscher-Krenn, Martin Gauster, Ursula Hiden
Summary: During pregnancy, the placenta plays a crucial role in regulating maternal physiology by secreting a variety of hormones and proteins. Maternal insulin resistance increases to supply glucose for the developing fetus, with a compensation in beta-cell mass and function. Sex differences may influence placenta-derived hormones and proteins, impacting the regulation of maternal glucose metabolism.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Reproductive Biology
Kelly J. Baines, Rachel C. West
Summary: Fetal sex influences the immune response of the fetal, placental, and maternal during pregnancy. Male and female have different immune responses, with males prioritizing growth and being more susceptible to adverse outcomes. Male placentas and fetuses also respond to infection and inflammation differently than females. These gender-specific differences in the immune response contribute to increased male perinatal morbidity and mortality. This review explores the genetic and hormonal contributions to the sexual dimorphism of fetal and placental immunity, as well as the impact on fetal and maternal health.
BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Da Som Jeong, Ji-Yeon Lee, Myoung Hee Kim, Ji Hoon Oh
Summary: Our study investigated the effects of maternal LPS exposure on sex-specific placental adaptation. We found that LPS exposure induced placental inflammation in both sexes at GD 17.5. Prenatal infection resulted in growth retardation in both sexes of embryos, with males being more affected. Sex-specific impairments in placental development were observed, with LPS 400 μg/kg reducing the percentage area of the labyrinth in females and junctional zone in males. RNA sequencing revealed widespread sexually dimorphic transcriptional changes in placenta, particularly in processes such as trophoblast differentiation, nutrient/ion transport, pregnancy, and the immune system.
MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Woong-Il Kim, So-Won Pak, Se-Jin Lee, Changjong Moon, In-Sik Shin, In-Chul Lee, Jong-Choon Kim
Summary: This study explores the potential effects and toxic mechanism of combined exposure to melamine and cyanuric acid on placental and fetal development in rats. The combined exposure caused maternal toxicity with increased abnormal symptoms and decreased body weight gain. It also resulted in decreased placental and fetal weights, increased fetal deaths, and post-implantation loss.
FOOD AND CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Toxicology
Pengxia Yu, Yawen Chen, Caiyun Ge, Hui Wang
Summary: According to the Developmental Origin of Health and Disease (DOHaD), adverse intrauterine environments can affect fetus and birth outcomes, leading to long-term disease susceptibility with sexually dimorphic neonatal outcomes and adult disease timing and severity. The placenta, as the link between mother and fetus, exhibits sexual dimorphism in both physiological development trajectory and under pathological conditions to ensure fetal survival. The placenta may mediate sexual dimorphism in neonatal outcomes and adult disease susceptibility, with sex chromosomes, sex hormones, and glucocorticoid overexposure as key factors in placental development and regulatory mechanisms.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN TOXICOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Alexander W. Shingleton, Isabelle M. Vea
Summary: Adult males and females of most species exhibit differences in morphology, physiology, and behavior in response to sex-specific selective pressures. While the genetic mechanisms initiating these differences are well understood, the developmental trajectories that generate them are still poorly understood. This review focuses on recent advances in understanding the regulation of sex-specific development, with a particular emphasis on two models: body size sexual dimorphism in Drosophila melanogaster and horn sexual dimorphism in Onthophagus taurus. The regulation of sex-specific metabolism during and after development is also an important aspect of generating male and female phenotypes, and recent research has revealed overlap in the mechanisms regulating both.
SEMINARS IN CELL & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Bianca Reis Santos, Jeane Martinha dos Anjos Cordeiro, Luciano Cardoso Santos, Erikles Macedo Barbosa, Leticia Dias Mendonca, Emilly Oliveira Santos, Isabella Oliveira de Macedo, Mario Sergio Lima de Lavor, Raphael Escorsim Szawka, Rogeria Serakides, Juneo Freitas Silva
Summary: This study demonstrates that daily treatment with kisspeptin-10 improves fetal development and placental morphology in hypothyroid rats. It blocks placental oxidative damage and increases the expression of growth factors and antioxidant enzymes in the placenta.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Haiyan Wang, Amy Zheng, Edward B. Arias, Seong Eun Kwak, Xiufang Pan, Dongsheng Duan, Gregory D. Cartee
Summary: Exercise increases glucose uptake by skeletal muscle after exercise in both sexes, and the role of AS160 protein and its phosphorylation in this process has been studied in male rats, but not in females. This study manipulated AS160 expression and muscle GLUT4 protein expression, and found that AS160 expression plays an important role in increasing insulin-stimulated glucose uptake after exercise, while the phosphorylation status of AS160 has no effect on this process.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Theresa L. Powell, Charis Uhlson, Lana Madi, Karin Zemski Berry, Stephanie S. Chassen, Thomas Jansson, Veronique Ferchaud-Roucher
Summary: Our study revealed that obesity affects the levels of DHA-containing plasmalogen and ether lipids differently in male and female fetuses. Female placentas demonstrate better adaptability to maintain optimal DHA transfer to fetuses in obesity, while male placentas show decreased levels of DHA-containing lipid species.
BIOLOGY OF SEX DIFFERENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cameron S. Lynch, Victoria C. Kennedy, Amelia R. Tanner, Asghar Ali, Quinton A. Winger, Paul J. Rozance, Russell Anthony
Summary: In the ruminant placenta, GLUT1 and GLUT3 play important roles in glucose uptake and transfer. A deficiency in GLUT3 can result in fetal hypoglycemia and growth restriction.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Maria Lodefalk, Felix Chelslin, Johanna Patriksson Karlsson, Stefan R. Hansson
Summary: Placental dysfunction may increase the offspring's later-life disease risk. This systematic review aimed to examine the association between pathological placental changes and neuropsychological outcomes in children beyond the neonatal period. A total of 16 studies involving 15,862 participants were included in the review. While some studies reported an association between placental changes and outcomes, the evidence was limited and there was a risk of publication bias. The largest study found a small association between placental size and psychiatric symptoms in boys.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Peshkova, Alexey Lychagin, Marina Lipina, Berardo Di Matteo, Giuseppe Anzillotti, Flavio Ronzoni, Nastasia Kosheleva, Anastasia Shpichka, Valeriy Royuk, Victor Fomin, Eugene Kalinsky, Peter Timashev, Elizaveta Kon
Summary: Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative joint disease, with females being more susceptible to its development and progression. Investigating the relationship between gender and OA, the study provides evidence of gender implications in the onset and progression of OA, suggesting future research directions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maliha Islam, Monica Strawn, Susanta K. Behura
Summary: The sex differences in brain aging are programmed at the fetal stage and epigenetically linked to the placenta.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Kwun Kiu Wong, Feifei Cheng, Cadmon K. P. Lim, Claudia H. T. Tam, Greg Tutino, Lai Yuk Yuen, Chi Chiu Wang, Yong Hou, Michael H. M. Chan, Chung Shun Ho, Mugdha V. Joglekar, Anandwardhan A. Hardikar, Alicia J. Jenkins, Boyd E. Metzger, William L. Lowe, Wing Hung Tam, Ronald C. W. Ma
Summary: The study investigates the relationship between maternal and offspring glucose metabolism with offspring leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in early life. The findings suggest that offspring sex is an important modifier of the disparate relationships in insulin production and response.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Weicheng Zhao, Mark P. Green, Christina D. Marth, Fan Liu, Hieu H. Le, Gordon S. Lynch, Alan W. Bell, Brian J. Leury, Frank R. Dunshea, Jeremy J. Cottrell
Summary: This study found that heat stress during early to mid-gestation in sows altered gene expression profiles in fetal skeletal muscles, with more significant changes observed in female fetuses. The changes included repression in transcription and angiogenesis, as well as enhanced adipogenesis. However, the reduction in muscle vascularity was observed regardless of sex.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Anna M. Dieberger, Gernot Desoye, Erwin Stolz, David J. Hill, Rosa Corcoy, David Simmons, Juergen Harreiter, Alexandra Kautzky-Willer, Fidelma Dunne, Roland Devlieger, Ewa Wender-Ozegowska, Agnieszka Zawiejska, Annunziata Lapolla, Maria Grazia Dalfra, Alessandra Bertolotto, Sander Galjaard, Juan M. Adelantado, Dorte Moller Jensen, Lise-Lotte Andersen, Mette Tanvig, Peter Damm, Elisabeth Reinhardt Mathiesen, Frank J. Snoek, Judith G. M. Jelsma, Mireille N. M. van Poppel
Summary: In obese pregnant women, sedentary time is more strongly associated with the glucose-insulin axis compared to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Pregnant women should be advised to reduce sedentary time in addition to increasing physical activity to lower the risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).Behavior change interventions targeting GDM risk reduction should ideally start in early or pre-pregnancy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Anja Elaine Sorensen, Mireille N. M. van Poppel, Gernot Desoye, Peter Damm, David Simmons, Dorte Moller Jensen, Louise Torp Dalgaard
Summary: The study found that certain circulating miRNAs, such as miR-16-5p, miR-29a-3p, and miR-134-5p, can predict the risk of developing GDM early in pregnancy. This suggests that circulating miRNAs in early pregnancy could serve as valuable predictive biomarkers for GDM.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sebastian Granitzer, Raimund Widhalm, Martin Forsthuber, Isabella Ellinger, Gernot Desoye, Markus Hengstschlager, Harald Zeisler, Hans Salzer, Claudia Gundacker
Summary: The study reveals that placental cells have antioxidant defense against MeHg exposure, with LAT1 playing a crucial role in this process. LAT1 depletion reduces MeHg accumulation but increases susceptibility to MeHg-induced toxicity in cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marina Horvaticek, Maja Peric, Ivona Beceheli, Marija Klasic, Maja Zutic, Maja Kesic, Gernot Desoye, Sandra Nakic Rados, Marina Ivanisevic, Dubravka Hranilovic, Jasminka Stefulj
Summary: This study demonstrates that maternal metabolic status affects the methylation level of HTR2A in the placenta. Maternal obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus are associated with reduced HTR2A promoter methylation in female placentas, while tobacco use during pregnancy is associated with reduced HTR2A promoter methylation in male placentas. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the early developmental origins of neurobehavioral and metabolic disorders associated with altered HTR2A function.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anja Elaine Sorensen, Mireille N. M. van Poppel, Gernot Desoye, David Simmons, Peter Damm, Dorte Moller Jensen, Louise Torp Dalgaard
Summary: The study aimed to compare the temporal expression of serum miRNAs in pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The findings showed that overweight/obese women who later developed GDM already had elevated miRNA levels early in pregnancy, which remained higher throughout their pregnancy compared to women who did not develop GDM. These findings suggest that maternal circulating miRNAs may provide further insight into the interaction between placenta development and the maternal-fetal compartments.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Manuela Strahlhofer-Augsten, Carolin Schliefsteiner, Silvija Cvitic, Meekha George, Ingrid Lang-Olip, Birgit Hirschmugl, Gunther Marsche, Uwe Lang, Boris Novakovic, Richard Saffery, Gernot Desoye, Christian Wadsack
Summary: The study demonstrates differential expression of SR-BI in ECA and ECV in the feto-placental vasculature, leading to distinct regulation of local cholesterol homeostasis. The difference in SR-BI expression in the two types of endothelial cells mainly affects the uptake of fetal HDL cholesteryl esters.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Saghi Zafaranieh, Anna M. Dieberger, Barbara Leopold-Posch, Berthold Huppertz, Sebastian Granitzer, Markus Hengstschlager, Claudia Gundacker, Gernot Desoye, Mireille N. M. van Poppel
Summary: The study suggests that increasing MVPA and reducing ST during pregnancy may help alleviate oxidative stress in the placenta of obese women.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Line Hjort, Boris Novakovic, Silvija Cvitic, Richard Saffery, Peter Damm, Gernot Desoye
Summary: Maternal diabetes and obesity in pregnancy are associated with later disease risk in the offspring, with the placenta potentially mediating this risk through epigenetic mechanisms. Recent studies have identified differential DNA methylation in placental tissue of pregnancies affected by diabetes and obesity. This review analyzed published research in this area and identified overlaps, contradictions, and gaps in the literature. While most studies focused on gestational diabetes and hyperglycemia, there is a lack of research on pregnancies affected by type 1 diabetes. Other unanswered questions include the analysis of specific placental cell types and the timing of DNA methylation changes in response to diabetes and obesity during pregnancy. There is also a need for studies investigating the effects of maternal metabolism on placental DNA methylation in the first trimester and considering fetal sex as a determinant of pregnancy outcomes. Overall, this review provides a reference for researchers and suggests future focus areas for placental DNA methylation studies in pregnancies complicated by diabetes and obesity.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Gernot Desoye, Anthony M. Carter
Summary: Diabetes mellitus or obesity during pregnancy can lead to fetal hypoxia, which affects fetal growth. The metabolic and endocrine changes caused by diabetes mellitus and obesity result in fetal oxygen deficit, but the fetus adapts through various responses to ensure sufficient oxygen supply.
NATURE REVIEWS ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Lilian Cristina Mendoza, Juergen Harreiter, Gernot Desoye, David Simmons, Juan M. Adelantado, Alexandra Kautzky-Willer, Agnieszka Zawiejska, Ewa Wender-Ozegowska, Annunziata Lapolla, Maria G. Dalfra, Alessandra Bertolotto, Roland Devlieger, Fidelma Dunne, Elisabeth R. Mathiesen, Peter Damm, Lisse Lotte Andersen, Dorte Moller Jensen, David Hill, Mireille Nicoline Maria van Poppel, Rosa Corcoy
Summary: This study examines the relationship between vitamin D and glucose homeostasis in pregnant women with overweight/obesity. The results show no clear beneficial associations between vitamin D compounds and glucose homeostasis measures.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Gernot Desoye, Lene Ringholm, Peter Damm, Elisabeth R. Mathiesen, Mireille N. M. van Poppel
Summary: Despite progress in blood glucose control, pregnancy in women with type 1 diabetes still poses risks for the fetus. Good glycemic control reduces the risk of fetal overgrowth, but hyperglycemia can still lead to fetal overnutrition and adiposity. Preventing fetal adiposity requires revised goal setting and continuous glucose monitoring.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julia T. Stadler, Mireille N. M. van Poppel, Christian Wadsack, Michael Holzer, Anja Pammer, David Simmons, David Hill, Gernot Desoye, Gunther Marsche
Summary: Pregravid obesity is a major risk factor for pregnancy complications and cardiovascular events in children. However, the biological mechanisms underlying these adverse outcomes are not well understood. Impairment of HDL function in obese and GDM-complicated pregnancies may have long-term effects on maternal and offspring health.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Julia Bandres-Meriz, Christina Kunz, Jesper F. Havelund, Nils J. Faergeman, Alejandro Majali-Martinez, Regina Ensenauer, Gernot Desoye
Summary: The study found that the metabolome of pregnant women with overweight/obesity is already altered early in pregnancy due to changes in C-peptide. Lipid and amino acid metabolites related to obesity and insulin play a key role in these alterations.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maja Peric, Marina Horvaticek, Veronika Tandl, Ivona Beceheli, Alejandro Majali-Martinez, Gernot Desoye, Jasminka Stefulj
Summary: Serotonin signaling is important for regulating placental development and functions. Maternal metabolic disturbances associated with obesity and gestational diabetes may affect placental serotonin homeostasis. High glucose downregulates serotonin transporter (SERT) and monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), and upregulates tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) at 6.5% oxygen. Low oxygen levels (2.5%) upregulate SERT and downregulate TPH1 expression. Insulin specifically upregulates SERT at 2.5% oxygen. These findings suggest that maternal metabolic alterations can impact placental serotonin homeostasis.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Anna Dieberger, Barbara Obermayer-Pietsch, Juergen Harreiter, Gernot J. Desoye, Mireille N. M. van Poppel, DALI Core Investigator grp
Summary: Maternal physical activity and sedentary time during pregnancy are associated with neonatal anthropometry and cord blood parameters, with potential differences based on offspring sex. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is associated with lower neonatal fat mass in male offspring, while mean sedentary time is associated with lower cord blood C-peptide in female offspring.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY
(2023)
