Female Tract Cytokines and Developmental Programming in Embryos

Robertson, Sarah A.; Chin, Peck Yin; Schjenken, John E.; Thompson, Jeremy G.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-2480-6_7

Cited by 35 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 229 publications

(269 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Immune-modulating cytokines are pivotal for mediating communication between the maternal tract and the embryo. Compelling evidence shows that cytokines emanating from the oviduct and uterus can ‘fine-tune’ embryo development during the peri-conception period, influencing a range of cellular events from cell survival and metabolism, through division and differentiation, and potentially impart long-term impact through epigenetic remodeling 37 . The relative balance between survival agents and apoptosis-inducing agents influence the course of preimplantation development, causing embryos to adapt to varying maternal environments.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Periconception onset diabetes is associated with embryopathy and fetal growth retardation, reproductive tract hyperglycosylation and impaired immune adaptation to pregnancy

Brown

Green

Tan

et al. 2018

Sci Rep

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Diabetes has been linked with impaired fertility but the underlying mechanisms are not well defined. Here we use a streptozotocin-induced diabetes mouse model to investigate the cellular and biochemical changes in conceptus and maternal tissues that accompany hyperglycaemia. We report that streptozotocin treatment before conception induces profound intra-cellular protein β-O-glycosylation (O-GlcNAc) in the oviduct and uterine epithelium, prominent in early pregnancy. Diabetic mice have impaired blastocyst development and reduced embryo implantation rates, and delayed mid-gestation growth and development. Peri-conception changes are accompanied by increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine Trail, and a trend towards increased Il1a, Tnf and Ifng in the uterus, and changes in local T-cell dynamics that skew the adaptive immune response to pregnancy, resulting in 60% fewer anti-inflammatory regulatory T-cells within the uterus-draining lymph nodes. Activation of the heat shock chaperones, a mechanism for stress deflection, was evident in the reproductive tract. Additionally, we show that the embryo exhibits elevated hyper-O-GlcNAcylation of both cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins, associated with activation of DNA damage (ɣH2AX) pathways. These results advance understanding of the impact of peri-conception diabetes, and provide a foundation for designing interventions to support healthy conception without propagation of disease legacy to offspring.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Periconception onset diabetes is associated with embryopathy and fetal growth retardation, reproductive tract hyperglycosylation and impaired immune adaptation to pregnancy

Brown

Green

Tan

et al. 2018

Sci Rep

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Consequently, embryo culture media have become more physiological over the past two decades, and are no longer simple salt solutions with carbohydrates (Bavister, 1995;Gardner and Lane, 1997;Lane and Gardner, 2007). However, culture media still lack several components of the complex oviduct and uterine environments, including many paracrine signalling molecules (Aviles et al, 2010;Coy and Yanagimachi, 2015;Hannan et al, 2011;Robertson et al, 2015;Salamonsen et al, 2016). Embryos themselves secrete signalling molecules into the media in vitro, and these may partially compensate for the absence of signals from the reproductive tract.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combined effects of individual culture and atmospheric oxygen on preimplantation mouse embryos in vitro

Kelley

Gardner

2016

Reproductive BioMedicine Online

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Embryos are routinely cultured individually, although this can reduce blastocyst development. Culture in atmospheric (20%) oxygen is also common, despite multiple detrimental effects on embryos. Although frequently occurring together, the consequences of this combination are unknown. Mouse embryos were cultured individually or grouped, under physiological (5%) or atmospheric (20%) oxygen. Embryos were assessed by time-lapse and blastocyst cell allocation. Compared with the control group (5% oxygen group culture), 5-cell cleavage (t5) was delayed in 5% oxygen individual culture and 20% oxygen group culture (59.91 ± 0.23, 60.70 ± 0.29, 63.06 ± 0.32 h post-HCG respectively, P < 0.05). Embryos in 20% oxygen individual culture were delayed earlier (3-cell cleavage), and at t5 cleaved later than embryos in other treatments (66.01 ± 0.40 h, P < 0.001), this delay persisting to blastocyst hatching. Compared with controls, hatching rate and cells per blastocyst were reduced in 5% oxygen single culture and 20% oxygen group culture (134.1 ± 3.4, 104.5 ± 3.2, 73.4 ± 2.2 cells, P < 0.001), and were further reduced in 20% oxygen individual culture (57.0 ± 2.8 cells, P < 0.001), as was percentage inner cell mass. These data indicate combining individual culture and 20% oxygen is detrimental to embryo development.

show abstract

“…In another example, maternal sickness and systemic inflammation at the time of conception has been shown in a mouse model to alter blastocyst morphogenesis with long-term consequences for adult offspring immune function (Williams et al 2011). Here, reproductive function and embryo implantation are in part regulated by the activity of maternal immune cells and the balance of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines can have significant influence not only on embryo survival but long-term health of offspring (Robertson et al 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Periconceptional environment and the developmental origins of disease

Velazquez

Fleming

Watkins

2019

Journal of Endocrinology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The concept emerging from Professor David Barker’s seminal research on the developmental origins of later-life disease has progressed in many directions since it was first published. One critical question being when during gestation might environment alter the developmental programme with such enduring consequences. Here, we review the growing consensus from clinical and animal research that the period around conception, embracing gamete maturation and early embryogenesis might be the most vulnerable period. We focus on four types of environmental exposure shown to modify periconceptional reproduction and offspring development and health: maternal overnutrition and obesity; maternal undernutrition; paternal diet and health; and assisted reproductive technology. These conditions may act through diverse epigenetic, cellular and physiological mechanisms to alter gene expression and cellular signalling and function in the conceptus affecting offspring growth and metabolism leading to increased risk for cardiometabolic and neurological disease in later life.

show abstract

Female Tract Cytokines and Developmental Programming in Embryos

Cited by 35 publications

References 229 publications

Periconception onset diabetes is associated with embryopathy and fetal growth retardation, reproductive tract hyperglycosylation and impaired immune adaptation to pregnancy

Periconception onset diabetes is associated with embryopathy and fetal growth retardation, reproductive tract hyperglycosylation and impaired immune adaptation to pregnancy

Combined effects of individual culture and atmospheric oxygen on preimplantation mouse embryos in vitro

Periconceptional environment and the developmental origins of disease

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About