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An In Vivo Screening Model for Investigation of Pathophysiology of Human Implantation Failure. Biomolecules 2022; 13:biom13010079. [PMID: 36671464 PMCID: PMC9856033 DOI: 10.3390/biom13010079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
To improve current infertility treatments, it is important to understand the pathophysiology of implantation failure. However, many molecules are involved in the normal biological process of implantation and the roles of each molecule and the molecular mechanism are not fully understood. This review highlights the hemagglutinating virus of Japan (HVJ; Sendai virus) envelope (HVJ-E) vector, which uses inactivated viral particles as a local and transient gene transfer system to the murine uterus during the implantation period in order to investigate the molecular mechanism of implantation. In vivo screening in mice using the HVJ-E vector system suggests that signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (Stat-3) could be a diagnostic and therapeutic target for women with a history of implantation failure. The HVJ-E vector system hardly induces complete defects in genes; however, it not only suppresses but also transiently overexpresses some genes in the murine uterus. These features may be useful in investigating the pathophysiology of implantation failure in women.
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2
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Meher A. Role of Transcription Factors in the Management of Preterm Birth: Impact on Future Treatment Strategies. Reprod Sci 2022; 30:1408-1420. [PMID: 36131222 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-022-01087-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Preterm birth is defined as the birth of a neonate before 37 weeks of gestation and is considered as a leading cause of the under five deaths of neonates. Neonates born preterm are known to have higher perinatal mortality and morbidity with associated risks of low birth weight, respiratory distress syndrome, gastrointestinal, immunologic, central nervous system, hearing, and vision problems, cerebral palsy, and delayed development. India leads the list of countries with the greatest number of preterm births. The studies focusing on the molecular mechanisms related to the etiology of preterm birth have described the role of different transcription factors. With respect to this, transcription factors like peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPAR), nuclear factor kappa β (NF-kβ), nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and progesterone receptor (PR) are known to be associated with preterm labor. All these transcription factors are linked together with a common cascade involving inflammatory processes. Thus, the current review describes the possible cross-talk between these transcription factors and their therapeutic potential to prevent or manage preterm labor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshaya Meher
- Central Research Laboratory, Dr. Vasantrao Pawar Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Nashik, Maharashtra, India, 422003.
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3
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Gómez-Chávez F, Correa D, Navarrete-Meneses P, Cancino-Diaz JC, Cancino-Diaz ME, Rodríguez-Martínez S. NF-κB and Its Regulators During Pregnancy. Front Immunol 2021; 12:679106. [PMID: 34025678 PMCID: PMC8131829 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.679106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcriptional factor NF-κB is a nuclear factor involved in both physiological and pathological processes. This factor can control the transcription of more than 400 genes, including cytokines, chemokines, and their modulators, immune and non-immune receptors, proteins involved in antigen presentation and cell adhesion, acute phase and stress response proteins, regulators of apoptosis, growth factors, other transcription factors and their regulators, as well as different enzymes; all these molecules control several biological processes. NF-κB is a tightly regulated molecule that has also been related to apoptosis, cell proliferation, inflammation, and the control of innate and adaptive immune responses during onset of labor, in which it has a crucial role; thus, early activation of this factor may have an adverse effect, by inducing premature termination of pregnancy, with bad outcomes for the mother and the fetus, including product loss. Reviews compiling the different activities of NF-κB have been reported. However, an update regarding NF-κB regulation during pregnancy is lacking. In this work, we aimed to describe the state of the art around NF-κB activity, its regulatory role in pregnancy, and the effect of its dysregulation due to invasion by pathogens like Trichomonas vaginalis and Toxoplasma gondii as examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Gómez-Chávez
- Secretaría de Salud, Cátedras CONACyT-Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Mexico City, Mexico.,Secretaría de Salud, Laboratorio de Inmunología Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Mexico City, Mexico.,Departamento de Formación Básica Disciplinaria, Escuela Nacional de Medicina y Homeopatía-Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Dolores Correa
- Dirección de Investigación, Universidad Anáhuac, Huixquilucan, Mexico
| | - Pilar Navarrete-Meneses
- Laboratorio de Genética y Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud Mexico City, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Juan Carlos Cancino-Diaz
- Laboratorio de Inmunomicrobiología, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas-Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mario Eugenio Cancino-Diaz
- Laboratorio de Inmunidad Innata, Departamento de Inmunología, ENCB-Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sandra Rodríguez-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Inmunidad Innata, Departamento de Inmunología, ENCB-Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
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4
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Tersigni C, Vatish M, D'Ippolito S, Scambia G, Di Simone N. Abnormal uterine inflammation in obstetric syndromes: molecular insights into the role of chemokine decoy receptor D6 and inflammasome NLRP3. Mol Hum Reprod 2021; 26:111-121. [PMID: 32030415 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaz067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The adaptation of the uterine environment into a favorable immunological and inflammatory milieu is a physiological process needed in normal pregnancy. A uterine hyperinflammatory state, whether idiopathic or secondary to hormonal or organic uterine disorders (polycystic ovary syndromes, endometriosis/adenomyosis and fibroids), negatively influences the interactions between decidua and trophoblast, early in gestation, and between chorion and decidua later in pregnancy. Abnormal activation of uterine inflammatory pathways not only contributes to the pathogenesis of the obstetric syndromes, i.e. recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), pre-term delivery (PTD) and pre-eclampsia (PE), but also to correlates with severity. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the knowledge of uterine molecular mechanisms of inflammatory modulation in normal pregnancy and obstetric syndromes (RPL, PTD and PE). In particular, we focus on two regulators of uterine/placental inflammation: the NLRP3 inflammasome and the chemokines decoy receptor D6. We performed comprehensive review of the literature in PubMed and Google Scholar databases from 1994 to 2018. The available evidence suggests that: (i) the expression of inflammasome NLRP3 is increased in the endometrium of women with unexplained RPL, in the chorioamniotic membranes of women with PTL and in the placenta of women with PE; (ii) there is a role for abnormal expression and function of D6 decoy receptor at the feto-maternal interface in cases of RPL and PTD and (iii) the function of placental D6 decoy receptor is impaired in PE. A wider comprehension of the inflammatory molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of the obstetric syndromes might lead to the identification of new potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Tersigni
- U.O.C. di Ostetricia e Patologia Ostetrica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy.,Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome 00168, Italy
| | - Manu Vatish
- Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, OX3 9DU, Oxford, UK
| | - Silvia D'Ippolito
- U.O.C. di Ostetricia e Patologia Ostetrica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy.,Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome 00168, Italy
| | - Giovanni Scambia
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome 00168, Italy.,U.O.C. di Ginecologia Oncologica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Di Simone
- U.O.C. di Ostetricia e Patologia Ostetrica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy.,Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome 00168, Italy
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5
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PlGF Immunological Impact during Pregnancy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228714. [PMID: 33218096 PMCID: PMC7698813 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
During pregnancy, the mother’s immune system has to tolerate the persistence of paternal alloantigens without affecting the anti-infectious immune response. Consequently, several mechanisms aimed at preventing allograft rejection, occur during a pregnancy. In fact, the early stages of pregnancy are characterized by the correct balance between inflammation and immune tolerance, in which proinflammatory cytokines contribute to both the remodeling of tissues and to neo-angiogenesis, thus, favoring the correct embryo implantation. In addition to the creation of a microenvironment able to support both immunological privilege and angiogenesis, the trophoblast invades normal tissues by sharing the same behavior of invasive tumors. Next, the activation of an immunosuppressive phase, characterized by an increase in the number of regulatory T (Treg) cells prevents excessive inflammation and avoids fetal immuno-mediated rejection. When these changes do not occur or occur incompletely, early pregnancy failure follows. All these events are characterized by an increase in different growth factors and cytokines, among which one of the most important is the angiogenic growth factor, namely placental growth factor (PlGF). PlGF is initially isolated from the human placenta. It is upregulated during both pregnancy and inflammation. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the immunomodulatory effects of PlGF during pregnancy, warranting that both innate and adaptive immune cells properly support the early events of implantation and placental development. Furthermore, we highlight how an alteration of the immune response, associated with PlGF imbalance, can induce a hypertensive state and lead to the pre-eclampsia (PE).
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6
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Sodium Hydrogen Exchanger Regulatory Factor-1 (NHERF1) Regulates Fetal Membrane Inflammation. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21207747. [PMID: 33092043 PMCID: PMC7589612 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The fetal inflammatory response, a key contributor of infection-associated preterm birth (PTB), is mediated by nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) activation. Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor-1 (NHERF1) is an adapter protein that can regulate intracellular signal transduction and thus influence NF-kB activation. Accordingly, NHERF1 has been reported to enhance proinflammatory cytokine release and amplify inflammation in a NF-kB-dependent fashion in different cell types. The objective of this study was to examine the role of NHERF1 in regulating fetal membrane inflammation during PTB. We evaluated the levels of NHERF1 in human fetal membranes from term labor (TL), term not in labor (TNIL), and PTB and in a CD1 mouse model of PTB induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Additionally, primary cultures of fetal membrane cells were treated with LPS, and NHERF1 expression and cytokine production were evaluated. Gene silencing methods using small interfering RNA targeting NHERF1 were used to determine the functional relevance of NHERF1 in primary cultures. NHERF1 expression was significantly (p < 0.001) higher in TL and PTB membranes compared to TNIL membranes, and this coincided with enhanced (p < 0.01) interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 expression levels. LPS-treated animals delivering PTB had increased levels of NHERF1, IL-6, and IL-8 compared to phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; control) animals. Silencing of NHERF1 expression resulted in a significant reduction in NF-kB activation and IL-6 and IL-8 production as well as increased IL-10 production. In conclusion, downregulation of NHERF1 increased anti-inflammatory IL-10, and reducing NHERF1 expression could be a potential therapeutic strategy to reduce the risk of infection/inflammation associated with PTB.
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7
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Addo KA, Palakodety N, Hartwell HJ, Tingare A, Fry RC. Placental microRNAs: Responders to environmental chemicals and mediators of pathophysiology of the human placenta. Toxicol Rep 2020; 7:1046-1056. [PMID: 32913718 PMCID: PMC7472806 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2020.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are epigenetic modifiers that play an important role in the regulation of the expression of genes across the genome. miRNAs are expressed in the placenta as well as other organs, and are involved in several biological processes including the regulation of trophoblast differentiation, migration, invasion, proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis and cellular metabolism. Related to their role in disease process, miRNAs have been shown to be differentially expressed between normal placentas and placentas obtained from women with pregnancy/health complications such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, and obesity. This dysregulation indicates that miRNAs in the placenta likely play important roles in the pathogenesis of diseases during pregnancy. Furthermore, miRNAs in the placenta are susceptible to altered expression in relation to exposure to environmental toxicants. With relevance to the placenta, the dysregulation of miRNAs in both placenta and blood has been associated with maternal exposures to several toxicants. In this review, we provide a summary of miRNAs that have been assessed in the context of human pregnancy-related diseases and in relation to exposure to environmental toxicants in the placenta. Where data are available, miRNAs are discussed in their context as biomarkers of exposure and/or disease, with comparisons made across-tissue types, and conservation across studies detailed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kezia A. Addo
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gilling School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Niharika Palakodety
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gilling School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Hadley J. Hartwell
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gilling School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Aishani Tingare
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gilling School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rebecca C. Fry
- Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gilling School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gilling School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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8
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Gómez-Chávez F, López-Portales ÓH, Baeza-Martínez DA, Cancino-Díaz JC, Murrieta-Coxca JM, Cancino-Díaz ME, Pérez-Tapia SM, Rodríguez-Martínez S. IκBNS and IL-6 expression is differentially established in the uterus of pregnant healthy and infected mice. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04122. [PMID: 32577554 PMCID: PMC7301180 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
During pregnancy, NF-κB plays an important role for embryo implantation and the onset of labor. Regulated IL-6 production, under transcriptional control of NF-κB, is essential for a successful pregnancy outcome and the atypical regulator IκBNS is involved in this process. Previously, we showed that IκBNS negatively regulates IL-6 in uterine tissues during mouse estrous cycle. In this work, we analyzed if IκBNS and IL-6 expression in pregnant mice under physiological or L. monocytogenes-infected conditions would remain as observed in estrous cycle. In the healthy pregnancy IL-6 was highly expressed during implantation/placentation and labor stages but decreased during fetal development and post-partum stages. In contrast, in mice infected before pregnancy, IL-6 expression was not increased in the implantation stage, and its regulator IκBNS increased more in the infected condition rather than in the healthy pregnancy. IκBNS expression was reduced in post-implantation infection, allowing for IL-6 overexpression. The IκBNS-unrelated cytokine IL-36γ, used as inflammatory cytokine marker, was severely increased in the infected uterine tissues. When we analyzed the effect of infection over the fetuses, we found that pre-implantation infection caused the resorption (rejection) of some products, while the post-implantation infection restricted the intrauterine growth of fetuses. The results suggest that in the uterine tissue of pregnant mice the regulatory effect of IκBNS over IL-6 is more evident in an infection status rather than in a healthy condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Gómez-Chávez
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City, Mexico.,Cátedras CONACyT-Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico.,Departmento de Formación Básica Disciplinaria. Escuela Nacional de Medicina y Homeopatía (ENMyH) - IPN, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Óscar Humberto López-Portales
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Innata, Departamento de Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas - Instituto Politécnico Nacional (ENCB-IPN), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Damariz Adriana Baeza-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Innata, Departamento de Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas - Instituto Politécnico Nacional (ENCB-IPN), Mexico City, Mexico.,Departamento de Enfermería. Facultad de Estudios Superiores - Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - José Martín Murrieta-Coxca
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Innata, Departamento de Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas - Instituto Politécnico Nacional (ENCB-IPN), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mario Eugenio Cancino-Díaz
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Innata, Departamento de Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas - Instituto Politécnico Nacional (ENCB-IPN), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sonia Mayra Pérez-Tapia
- Laboratorio Nacional para Servicios Especializados de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación (I+D+i) para Farmoquímicos y Biotecnológicos (LANSEIDI-FarBiotec-CONACyT)-ENCB-IPN, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sandra Rodríguez-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Innata, Departamento de Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas - Instituto Politécnico Nacional (ENCB-IPN), Mexico City, Mexico
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9
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Lui S, Duval C, Farrokhnia F, Girard S, Harris LK, Tower CL, Stevens A, Jones RL. Delineating differential regulatory signatures of the human transcriptome in the choriodecidua and myometrium at term labor. Biol Reprod 2019; 98:422-436. [PMID: 29329366 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/iox186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Preterm deliveries remain the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Current therapies target only myometrial contractions and are largely ineffective. As labor involves multiple coordinated events across maternal and fetal tissues, identifying fundamental regulatory pathways of normal term labor is vital to understanding successful parturition and consequently labor pathologies. We aimed to identify transcriptomic signatures of human normal term labor of two tissues: in the fetal-facing choriodecidua and the maternal myometrium. Microarray transcriptomic data from choriodecidua and myometrium following term labor were analyzed for functional hierarchical networks, using Cytoscape 2.8.3. Hierarchically high candidates were analyzed for their regulatory casual relationships using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Selected master regulators were then chemically inhibited and effects on downstream targets were assessed using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Unbiased network analysis identified upstream molecular components in choriodecidua including vimentin, TLR4, and TNFSF13B. In the myometrium, candidates included metallothionein 2 (MT2A), TLR2, and RELB. These master regulators had significant differential gene expression during labor, hierarchically high centrality in community cluster networks, interactions amongst the labor gene set, and strong causal relationships with multiple downstream effects. In vitro experiments highlighted MT2A as an effective regulator of labor-associated genes. We have identified unique potential regulators of the term labor transcriptome in uterine tissues using a robust sequence of unbiased mathematical and literature-based in silico analyses. These findings encourage further investigation into the efficacy of predicted master regulators in blocking multiple pathways of labor processes across maternal and fetal tissues, and their potential as therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Lui
- Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,St Mary's Hospital, Central Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Cyntia Duval
- Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Universite de Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Farkhondeh Farrokhnia
- Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,St Mary's Hospital, Central Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Sylvie Girard
- Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Universite de Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lynda K Harris
- Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,St Mary's Hospital, Central Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.,School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Clare L Tower
- Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,St Mary's Hospital, Central Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Adam Stevens
- St Mary's Hospital, Central Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Rebecca L Jones
- Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,St Mary's Hospital, Central Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
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10
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Maternal Choline Supplementation Modulates Placental Markers of Inflammation, Angiogenesis, and Apoptosis in a Mouse Model of Placental Insufficiency. Nutrients 2019; 11:nu11020374. [PMID: 30759768 PMCID: PMC6412879 DOI: 10.3390/nu11020374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Dlx3 (distal-less homeobox 3) haploinsufficiency in mice has been shown to result in restricted fetal growth and placental defects. We previously showed that maternal choline supplementation (4X versus 1X choline) in the Dlx3+/− mouse increased fetal and placental growth in mid-gestation. The current study sought to test the hypothesis that prenatal choline would modulate indicators of placenta function and development. Pregnant Dlx3+/− mice consuming 1X (control), 2X, or 4X choline from conception were sacrificed at embryonic (E) days E10.5, E12.5, E15.5, and E18.5, and placentas and embryos were harvested. Data were analyzed separately for each gestational day controlling for litter size, fetal genotype (except for models including only +/− pups), and fetal sex (except when data were stratified by this variable). 4X choline tended to increase (p < 0.1) placental labyrinth size at E10.5 and decrease (p < 0.05) placental apoptosis at E12.5. Choline supplementation decreased (p < 0.05) expression of pro-angiogenic genes Eng (E10.5, E12.5, and E15.5), and Vegf (E12.5, E15.5); and pro-inflammatory genes Il1b (at E15.5 and 18.5), Tnfα (at E12.5) and Nfκb (at E15.5) in a fetal sex-dependent manner. These findings provide support for a modulatory effect of maternal choline supplementation on biomarkers of placental function and development in a mouse model of placental insufficiency.
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11
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Skoda M, Stangret A, Szukiewicz D. Fractalkine and placental growth factor: A duet of inflammation and angiogenesis in cardiovascular disorders. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2018; 39:116-123. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2017.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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12
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Liu Y, Yang J, Bao J, Li X, Ye A, Zhang G, Liu H. Activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway by nicotine ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced preeclampsia-like symptoms in pregnant rats. Placenta 2017; 49:23-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Revised: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/06/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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13
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Hookham MB, Ali IHA, O'Neill CL, Hackett E, Lambe MH, Schmidt T, Medina RJ, Chamney S, Rao B, McLoone E, Sweet D, Stitt AW, Brazil DP. Hypoxia-induced responses by endothelial colony-forming cells are modulated by placental growth factor. Stem Cell Res Ther 2016; 7:173. [PMID: 27899144 PMCID: PMC5129608 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-016-0430-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2016] [Revised: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs), also termed late outgrowth endothelial cells, are a well-defined circulating endothelial progenitor cell type with an established role in vascular repair. ECFCs have clear potential for cell therapy to treat ischaemic disease, although the precise mechanism(s) underlying their response to hypoxia remains ill-defined. Methods In this study, we isolated ECFCs from umbilical cord blood and cultured them on collagen. We defined the response of ECFCs to 1% O2 exposure at acute and chronic time points. Results In response to low oxygen, changes in ECFC cell shape, proliferation, size and cytoskeleton phenotype were detected. An increase in the number of senescent ECFCs also occurred as a result of long-term culture in 1% O2. Low oxygen exposure altered ECFC migration and tube formation in Matrigel®. Increases in angiogenic factors secreted from ECFCs exposed to hypoxia were also detected, in particular, after treatment with placental growth factor (PlGF). Exposure of cells to agents that stabilise hypoxia-inducible factors such as dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) also increased PlGF levels. Conditioned medium from both hypoxia-treated and DMOG-treated cells inhibited ECFC tube formation. This effect was reversed by the addition of PlGF neutralising antibody to the conditioned medium, confirming the direct role of PlGF in this effect. Conclusions This study deepens our understanding of the response of ECFCs to hypoxia and also identifies a novel and important role for PlGF in regulating the vasculogenic potential of ECFCs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13287-016-0430-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle B Hookham
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Imran H A Ali
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Christina L O'Neill
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Emer Hackett
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Melanie H Lambe
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Tina Schmidt
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Reinhold J Medina
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Sara Chamney
- Eye & Ear Clinic, Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BA, UK
| | - Bharathi Rao
- Regional Neonatal Unit, Royal Maternity Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BA, UK
| | - Eibhlin McLoone
- Eye & Ear Clinic, Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BA, UK
| | - David Sweet
- Regional Neonatal Unit, Royal Maternity Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BA, UK
| | - Alan W Stitt
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Derek P Brazil
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.
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Sildenafil (Viagra®) blocks inflammatory injury in LPS-induced mouse abortion: A potential prophylactic treatment against acute pregnancy loss? Placenta 2015; 36:1122-9. [PMID: 26303758 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2015.07.133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Revised: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL) are common women's health issues. Inflammatory and thrombotic events have been associated with RPL including excessive production of cytokines, in particular TNF-α. However, mechanisms behind gestational losses are not yet fully understood. Sildenafil inhibits phosphodiesterase Type-5 (PDE5). This drug increases intracellular cyclic guanosine monophosphate, having vasodilatory and, more recently described, anti-inflammatory properties. PDE5 is present in murine and human uterus and placenta. Sildenafil is already used clinically for treatment of human fetal growth restriction (FGR). Our objective was to determine if Sildenafil alone or in combination with Heparin had protective effects in pregnant Swiss albino challenged to abort by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). METHODS Treatments (Sildenafil (50 mg/kg/day), Heparin (500 IU/Kg/day) or Sildenafil + Heparin at the same doses) were initiated the morning of copulation plug detection (gestational day (gd0)). On the 15th day of pregnancy, an intra-peritoneal injection of LPS (100 μg/kg) was administered. Untreated, pregnant mice challenged by LPS served as controls. RESULTS Assessments at 48 h after LPS revealed that Sildenafil + Heparin prevented fetal loss. Early assessments at 2 h after LPS indicated that the pretreatments prevented induction of inflammatory cytokine production (TNF-α, IL-1β/NF-κβ) and preserved placental histopathology. DISCUSSION Combined Sildenafil + Heparin therapy was superior to either treatment alone in most analyses. The known safety of Sildenafil and Heparin in human pregnancy suggests that usage of these combined agents may be of value for treatment of patients with impending pregnancy loss or prophylactically in women with a history of recurrent miscarriages.
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A new approach to oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling during labour in healthy mothers and neonates. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2015; 2015:178536. [PMID: 25722791 PMCID: PMC4333327 DOI: 10.1155/2015/178536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2014] [Revised: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The objective of the current study was to investigate for the first time and simultaneously the oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling induced during the delivery in healthy mothers and their neonates. 56 mothers with normal gestational course and spontaneous delivery were selected. Blood samples were taken from mother (before and after delivery) both from vein and artery of umbilical cord. Lower antioxidant enzymes activities were observed in neonates compared with their mothers and lower oxidative stress in umbilical cord artery with respect to vein. There was an overexpression of inflammatory cytokines in the mother, such as IL-6 and TNF-α, and, in addition, PGE2 was also increased. Neonates showed lower levels of IL-6 and TNF-α and higher values of sTNF-RII and PGE2 in comparison with their mothers. Parturition increases oxidative damage in the mother, although the indicators of oxidative damage were lower in umbilical cord artery with respect to umbilical vein. The overexpression of inflammatory cytokines reveals that fetus suffers its own inflammatory process during parturition.
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Lim R, Lappas M. Slit2 exerts anti-inflammatory actions in human placenta and is decreased with maternal obesity. Am J Reprod Immunol 2014; 73:66-78. [PMID: 25329354 DOI: 10.1111/aji.12334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Obese pregnancies are characterised by increased inflammation. Members of the Slit/Roundabout (Robo) family are key regulators of the inflammatory response. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of (i) pre-existing maternal obesity on Slit-Robo expression in human placenta and (ii) Slit2 knockdown by siRNA in primary trophoblast cells on markers of inflammation. METHOD OF STUDY The expression of Slit-Robo protiens was assessed in human placenta from lean (n = 15) and obese (n = 16) patients by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Primary trophoblast cells were used to determine the effect of pro-inflammatory mediators on Slit2 expression, and the effect of Slit2 siRNA on pro-inflammatory mediators. RESULTS While there was no change in Slit3, Robo1 or Robo4 expression, Slit2 expression was significantly lower in obese placenta compared to lean placenta. Human primary trophoblast cells treated with pro-inflammatory mediators IL-1β, TNF-α and LPS significantly decreased Slit2 expression. Slit2 silencing by siRNA augmented IL-6 expression and secretion in cells stimulated with TNF-α, LPS and TNF-α; IL-8 gene expression and/or release in cells stimulated with IL-1β and LPS; TNF-α gene expression and secretion in cells stimulated with LPS; and MMP-9 gene expression and pro MMP-9 levels in cells stimulated with TNF-α. CONCLUSION The anti-inflammatory effects of Slit2 in human placenta is a novel finding, and suggests that inflammatory mediators, which are increased with obesity, downregulates Slit2 to enhance placental inflammation. Given the central role of pro-inflammatory cytokines in placental nutrient transport, our findings suggest Slit2 may play a role in fetal growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratana Lim
- Mercy Perinatal Research Centre, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Vic., Australia; Obstetrics, Nutrition and Endocrinology Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Vic., Australia
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Cellular inhibitors of apoptosis (cIAP) 1 and 2 are increased in placenta from obese pregnant women. Placenta 2014; 35:831-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2014.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2014] [Revised: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Du MR, Wang SC, Li DJ. The integrative roles of chemokines at the maternal-fetal interface in early pregnancy. Cell Mol Immunol 2014; 11:438-48. [PMID: 25109684 DOI: 10.1038/cmi.2014.68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Revised: 06/29/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryos express paternal antigens that are foreign to the mother, but the mother provides a special immune milieu at the fetal-maternal interface to permit rather than reject the embryo growth in the uterus until parturition by establishing precise crosstalk between the mother and the fetus. There are unanswered questions in the maintenance of pregnancy, including the poorly understood phenomenon of maternal tolerance to the allogeneic conceptus, and the remarkable biological roles of placental trophoblasts that invade the uterine wall. Chemokines are multifunctional molecules initially described as having a role in leukocyte trafficking and later found to participate in developmental processes such as differentiation and directed migration. It is increasingly evident that the gestational uterine microenvironment is characterized, at least in part, by the differential expression and secretion of chemokines that induce selective trafficking of leukocyte subsets to the maternal-fetal interface and regulate multiple events that are closely associated with normal pregnancy. Here, we review the expression and function of chemokines and their receptors at the maternal-fetal interface, with a special focus on chemokine as a key component in trophoblast invasiveness and placental angiogenesis, recruitment and instruction of immune cells so as to form a fetus-supporting milieu during pregnancy. The chemokine network is also involved in pregnancy complications.
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Lappas M. Cellular Inhibitors of Apoptosis Proteins cIAP1 and cIAP2 are Increased after Labour in Foetal Membranes and Myometrium and are Essential for TNF-α-Induced Expression of Pro-Labour Mediators. Am J Reprod Immunol 2014; 73:313-29. [DOI: 10.1111/aji.12295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Martha Lappas
- Mercy Perinatal Research Centre; Mercy Hospital for Women; Heidelberg VIC Australia
- Obstetrics, Nutrition and Endocrinology Group; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology; University of Melbourne; Melbourne VIC Australia
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Lappas M. Markers of endothelial cell dysfunction are increased in human omental adipose tissue from women with pre-existing maternal obesity and gestational diabetes. Metabolism 2014; 63:860-73. [PMID: 24684825 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2014.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Revised: 03/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of maternal obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on the expression and release of genes involved in endothelial cell dysfunction in human placenta and omental adipose tissue. MATERIALS/METHODS Human placenta and omental adipose tissue were obtained from non-obese and obese normal glucose tolerant (NGT) women and women with GDM at the time of Caesarean section. Quantitative RT-PCR was performed to determine the level of expression. Tissue explants were performed to determine the release of proteins of interest. RESULTS There was no effect of pre-existing maternal obesity or GDM on placental gene expression or secretion of members of the VEGF family members (PLGF and VEGF-A expression and secretion; sFlt-1 release; VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 mRNA expression); FGFR1 mRNA expression, FGF2 mRNA expression and secretion; endoglin mRNA expression and secretion (sEng); and the adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. On the other hand, in omental adipose tissue, pre-existing maternal obesity and GDM were associated with increased gene expression of PLGF, endoglin and ICAM-1 and increased secretion of PLGF, sFlt-1, FGF2, sEng and sICAM-1. There was, however, no effect of maternal pre-existing obesity and GDM on VEGF-A, VEGFR1, VEGFR2, FGFR1 and VCAM-1 expression or secretion. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated the presence of abnormal expression and secretion of angiogenic proteins and adhesion molecules in omental adipose tissue, but not placenta, from pregnant women with GDM and pre-existing maternal obesity. Increased angiogenic and adhesion molecules released from adipose tissue may affect angiogenesis, inflammation and or lipid and glucose metabolism in both mum and her offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha Lappas
- Obstetrics, Nutrition and Endocrinology Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Mercy Perinatal Research Centre, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.
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