Naslov
Relationship between placental serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) expression, maternal metabolic state, and infant birthweight

Autori
Perić, Maja ; Horvatiček, Marina ; Bečeheli, Ivona ; Ivanišević, Marina ; Štefulj, Jasminka

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
SLIMP 2022 abstracts, Placenta 122 / - , 2022, 17-17

Skup
9th Latin American Symposium on Maternal-Fetal Interaction and Placenta (SLIMP 2022)

Mjesto i datum
Bogotá, Kolumbija, 04.05.2022. - 06.05.2022

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
SERT ; 5-HT ; methylation ; gestational diabetes mellitus ; obesity ; pregnancy ; birthweight ; development

Sažetak
Aim: To investigate the relationship between expression/methylation of the serotonin transporter gene (SERT) in human term placenta, maternal metabolic parameters, and neonatal anthropometry. Methodology: The prospective study included 213 mother-newborn pairs. Placental tissue samples were collected immediately after birth and nucleic acids were extracted by standard procedures. DNA methylation of 14 CpG sites within intron-1 of the SLC6A4 gene was quantified by bisulfite pyrosequencing ; SLC6A4 mRNA levels were determined in a subset of the samples by RT-qPCR. Data were analyzed by correlation and multiple regression analyzes. Results: Mean methylation in SLC6A4 intron-1 differed between female and male neonates (p < 0.0001), while there were no sex-dependent differences in SLC6A4 mRNA levels. In normoglycemic pregnancies, SLC6A4 mRNA levels were 15.7% lower (p=0.044) in placentas of overweight/obese mothers (n=29) compared to normal-weight mothers (n=37). In pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), no differences were observed between placentas of overweight/obese (n=36) and normal- weight (n=21) mothers. Furthermore, placental SLC6A4 mRNA levels were negatively correlated with infant birth weight (r=-0.18, p=0.046, n=123) ; this remained so after adjustment for neonatal sex and gestational age. No differences in SLC6A4 intron-1 methylation were found in relation to maternal body weight status or GDM diagnosis. However, a negative correlation was found between SLC6A4 methylation and mRNA levels (r=-0.21, p=0.02). Conclusion: These results suggest that altered maternal metabolism affects SLC6A4 expression in the placenta via mechanisms other than methylation of the SLC6A4 intron-1 region. The induced changes may affect placental serotonin homeostasis and have implications for placental function and fetal neurodevelopment. The association between placental SLC6A4 expression and birth weight supports the recently proposed role of the placental serotonin transporter in controlling placental nutrient uptake.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija, Interdisciplinarne prirodne znanosti, Kliničke medicinske znanosti

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