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Hofstee 2017 Placenta

From Bioblast
Maternal selenium deficiency in mice alters placental function, reduces foetal glucose concentration and impairs foetal growth.

Link:

Hofstee P, Lucy A. Bartho, Daniel R. McKeating, Olivia J. Holland, Jessica J. Vanderlelie, James SM. Cuffe, Anthony V. Perkins (2017)

Event: Placenta

Maternal selenium concentrations progressively decline during pregnancy and are further reduced by conditions including obesity. Selenium deficiency peri-conception and during pregnancy is associated with placental oxidative stress, impaired placental mitochondrial function and perinatal complications such as preeclampsia. The impact of selenium deficiency prior to and during pregnancy on foetal development and programmed disease warrants investigation.

Female C57/BL/6 mice were assigned to a normal selenium (NS) or low selenium (LS) diet for four weeks prior to mating. Pregnant mice were sacrificed at embryonic day 18.5 for placental collection and assessment of maternal/foetal glucose concentrations. Placental tissues were collected for analysis of mitochondrial respiration (Oxygraph-2k) or snap frozen for subsequent analysis. Placental selenium concentrations were measured using ICP-MS. Enzymatic activity of selenoproteins thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were assessed by colorimetric assay and gene expression of SOD1, SOD2, TrxR1, TrxR2, GPx1 and GPx3 were quantified using qPCR.

Maternal selenium deficiency did not affect maternal weight gain or blood glucose concentration prior to or during pregnancy. Foetal body weight, blood glucose concentration and kidney and heart weights were all significantly decreased in both male and female foetuses exposed to the LS diet during pregnancy (P<0.0001). Male to female foetal ratio was significantly lower in the LS group (P<0.05) and placental to body weight ratio was increased in both sexes (P<0.01). Placental expression of SOD1 and SOD2 was reduced by LS (P<0.05) while TrxR and GPx mRNA expression and activity were unaffected. Placental dimensions, selenium concentrations and mitochondrial function were not affected in either sex.

This study is the first to demonstrate that maternal selenium deficiency decreases foetal blood glucose concentrations and foetal body weight. The impaired sex ratio suggests reduced survival of male foetuses. These findings likely precede programmed disease outcomes in later life although these are yet to be investigated.


β€’ Bioblast editor: Kandolf G


Labels: MiParea: Respiration, Exercise physiology;nutrition;life style, Pharmacology;toxicology 


Organism: Mouse  Tissue;cell: Genital 



HRR: Oxygraph-2k 


Affiliations

Griffith Univ, QLD, Australia