Proteome Differences in Placenta and Endometrium between Normal and Intrauterine Growth Restricted Pig Fetuses

Abstract

Uteroplacental tissue plays a key role in substance exchanges between maternal and fetal circulation, and, therefore, in the growth and development of fetuses. In this study, proteomics and western blotting were applied to investigate the changes of proteome in the placenta and endometrium of normal and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) porcine fetuses during mid to late pregnancy (D60, 90, and 110 of gestation). Our results showed that proteins participating in cell structure, energy metabolism, stress response, cell turnover, as well as transport and metabolism of nutrients were differentially expressed in placenta and endometrium between normal and IUGR fetuses. Analysis of functions of these proteins suggests reductions in ATP production and nutrients transport, increases in oxidative stress and apoptosis, and impairment of cell metabolism in IUGR fetuses. Collectively, our findings aid in understanding of the mechanisms responsible for uteroplacental dysfunction in IUGR fetus, and are expected to provide new strategies to reduce fetal growth restriction in pigs and other mammals.

Associations between fetal size, sex and both proliferation and apoptosis at the porcine feto-maternal interface

“…In the current study, placental KI67 expression was decreased, suggesting decreased proliferation, in samples associated with the lightest fetuses compared to the CTMLW at GD45. This supports the work published by Chen et al [ 32 ], which suggested that components of the proliferation pathway were downregulated on a protein level in porcine placental and endometrial samples associated with IUGR fetuses compared to those associated with normal birth weight (NBW) fetuses at GD60, 90, and 110.…”

“…Decreased placental BCL2 expression [ 29 , 30 ], accompanied by increased BAX [ 29 ] expression has been observed in term IUGR placentas compared to those supplying normally-grown infants. In the pig, it has been suggested on a protein level that components of the proliferation pathway are downregulated, accompanied by increased apoptotic stress in placentas associated with IUGR fetuses compared to normal-body weight fetuses at GD60, 90 and 110 [ 32 ].…”

Cardiac and placental mitochondrial characterization in a rabbit model of intrauterine growth restriction

“…The global gene expression profile of the hearts of offspring in this IUGR-rabbit model showed alterations in different pathways, all of which converged to mitochondria, including oxygen homeostasis, mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) complex I, oxidative phosphorylation and NADH dehydrogenase activity (10,14). Alternative animal models of IUGR have been developed consisting in carunclectomy, uterine artery ligation, uterine space restriction, caloric restriction or hypoxic conditions, among other procedures, in different species of animals (mainly sheep, pigs or rats models) (15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26). Heart development is different among species (in structure, timing of maturation, morphology, function, etc.).…”

Proteomic Profile ofMabuyasp. (Squamata: Scincidae) Ovary and Placenta During Gestation

“…Recently, some "omics" profiles have been carried out in the male brood pouch of the seahorse (Whittington et al, 2015), eggshell membranes of the chick (Cordeiro and Hincke, 2016), and placental tissues in mammals (Balestrieri et al, 2013;Mushahary et al, 2013;Strazzullo et al, 2014;Chen et al, 2015) and in viviparous skinks: Chalcides ocellatus and Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii (Brandley et al, 2012;Griffith et al, 2016b). In these skinks, pregnancy is a clearly multistep process.…”