Placental cellular composition and umbilical cord tissue metal(loid) concentrations: A descriptive molecular epidemiology study leveraging DNA methylation.

Placenta

Department of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address:

Published: March 2024

The placenta is a mixture of cell types, which may regulate maternal-fetal transfer of exogenous chemicals or become altered in response to exposures. We leveraged placental DNA methylation to characterize major constituent cell types and applied compositional data analysis to test associations with non-essential metal(loid)s measured in paired umbilical cord tissue (N = 158). Higher proportions of syncytiotrophoblasts were associated with lower arsenic, whereas higher proportions of Hofbauer cells were associated with higher cadmium concentrations in umbilical cords. These findings suggest that placental cellular composition influences amounts of metal(loid)s transferred to the fetus or that prenatal exposures alter the placental cellular makeup.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.placenta.2024.01.009DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

placental cellular
12
cellular composition
8
umbilical cord
8
cord tissue
8
dna methylation
8
cell types
8
higher proportions
8
placental
4
composition umbilical
4
tissue metalloid
4

Similar Publications

Alginate-polylysine-alginate (APA) microencapsulated transgenic human amniotic epithelial cells ameliorate fibrosis in hypertrophic scars.

Inflamm Res

January 2025

Department of Burns and Cutaneous Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No.127 Changle West Road, Xincheng District, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China.

Background: Hypertrophic scar (HS) is a severe skin fibrosis. Transplanting stem cells carrying anti-fibrotic cytokine genes, like interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), is a novel therapeutic strategy. Human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) are ideal seed cells and gene vectors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

tiRNA-Gln-CTG is Involved in the Regulation of Trophoblast Cell Function in Pre-eclampsia and Serves as a Potent Biomarker.

Front Biosci (Landmark Ed)

January 2025

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, 210000 Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.

Background: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a gestational disorder that significantly endangers maternal and fetal health. Transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA)-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) are important in the progression and diagnosis of various diseases. However, their role in the development of PE is unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Human Defence Factors in Different Gestational Week Placenta: A Pilot Study.

Life (Basel)

January 2025

Institute of Anatomy and Anthropology, Riga Stradins University, Kronvalda Boulevard 9, LV-1010 Riga, Latvia.

Background: Numerous studies have shown the presence of multiple defence factors in placental tissue, although their role is partially understood; therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB); human beta-defensin 2, 3, and 4 (HBD-2,3,4); cathelicidine (LL-37); heat shock protein 60 (HSP60); and interleukin 10 (IL-10) in dissimilar gestational week placental tissue and display correlations between immunoreactive cells.

Methods: A total of 15 human placental tissue samples were acquired from mothers with different gestational weeks: 28, 31, and 40. Routine staining and immunohistochemistry for the samples were executed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

HERV-W Env Induces Neuron Pyroptosis via the NLRP3-CASP1-GSDMD Pathway in Recent-Onset Schizophrenia.

Int J Mol Sci

January 2025

State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.

HERVs (Human endogenous retroviruses) are remnants of ancient exogenous retroviruses that have integrated into the human genome, particularly in germ-line cells. Among these, the envelope protein gene (Human endogenous retroviruses W family envelope protein), located on chromosome 7 and primarily expressed in the human placenta, has been closely linked to various neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, as well as autoimmune diseases and cancer. Recent studies have highlighted the abnormal expression of cytokines as a key factor in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

South American camelids inhabit high-altitude environments characterized by hypoxia, influencing embryonic, fetal, and placental development. This study examined the term placenta morphology of alpacas (, N = 12) and the immunoexpression of antioxidant selenoproteins (SP). We hypothesize that the placenta of alpacas, adapted to high altitudes, has characteristics with other species also adapted to altitude.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!