Placental changes caused by food restriction during early pregnancy in mice are reversible

Abstract

In a previous study, 50% calorie restriction in mice from d1.5 to 11.5 of pregnancy resulted in reduced placental weights and areas, relativel sparing of labyrinth zone area compared to junctional zone area, and dramatic changes in global gene expression profiles. However, little lasting effect was seen on adult offspring of these pregnancies, with a slight reduction in adiposity in males and some changes in liver gene expression in both sexes. The goals of the present study were to determine whether the placental changes induced by caloric restriction in early pregnancy had permanent, irreversible effects on the placenta, and whether the changes in liver gene expression in adult offspring were present before birth. There were no differences in placental weights or areas, or the areas of individual placental zones near term in mice that had previously been food restricted. Global gene expression profiles at d18.5 were indistinguishable in placentas from control and previously food-restricted mothers. In fetuses from restricted dams at d18.5, liver expression of Gck, a key regulator of glycogen synthesis, was reduced, whereas its expression was increased in livers from adult offspring of restricted dams. Ppara expression was also reduced in fetal livers from restricted dams at d18.5, but not in adult offspring livers. We conclude that alterations in the placenta caused by nutrient restriction in early pregnancy are reversible, and that alterations in gene expression in livers of adult offspring are not a result of changes initiated during pregnancy and maintained through adulthood.Reproduction (2015) 150 165-172

Maternal betaine supplementation affects fetal growth and lipid metabolism of high-fat fed mice in a temporal-specific manner

“…Previous studies in mice reported similar temporal-specific response in fetal growth. Calorie restriction by 50% during E1.5–11.5 led to placental weight reduction in early gestation, yet this weight reduction was reversed at E18.5 51 , 52 . Over-nutrition induced by a high-sugar, HF diet reduced feto-placental growth at E16, yet fetal weight was normalized at E19 53 .…”

The Programming Power of the Placenta

“…There may also be catch-up growth of the placenta in late gestation if the nutritionally-deprived dams are returned to ad libitum feeding of the control diet. For instance, the effect of global undernutrition to reduce placental weight was mitigated by ad libitum feeding of the dam in late pregnant mice (Harper et al, 2015 ). This suggests alterations in the placenta caused by nutrient restriction in early pregnancy could be reversible.…”

Deletion of fetoplacental Fshr inhibits fetal vessel angiogenesis in the mouse placenta

“…One utilizes vascular corrosion casts of placental fetal vessels that are scanned by x-ray microcomputed tomography and quantified (Rennie et al, 2015). The other method utilizes a quantitative morphometric approach in which maternal vs. fetal sinuses in the placental labyrinth are manually traced (identified by the presence vs. the absence of red blood cells, respectively), pseudo-colored, and quantified with Image J (Harper et al, 2015; Li et al, 2013; Schulz et al, 2012; Van Gronigen Caesar et al, 2016). We chose the latter method for this study because it afforded us the ability to quantitatively analyze potential changes in both the fetal and the maternal sinuses of the labyrinth.…”