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Placentation in Mammals: Development, Function and Pathology

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A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381). This special issue belongs to the section "Anatomy, Histology and Pathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 11060

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jorge Lopez-Tello

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Guest Editor

Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
Interests: developmental biology; endocrinology; medical devices and therapeutics; translational medicine

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In eutherian mammals, the placenta is essential for fetal growth and survival. This transient organ, separating the maternal and fetal circulations, has a range of functions, including the transport of nutrients and gases, immunological protection, and the secretion of endocrine mediators that facilitate the adaptation of maternal body systems in response to gestation.

During its transient existence, the placenta adapts structurally and functionally to optimize fetal growth. However, adverse placental function and poor maternal environments (e.g., malnutrition, stress, hypoxia or pollution) can lead to serious pregnancy complications, including fetal growth restriction, fetal distress and stillbirth. Moreover, placental insufficiency is associated with poor metabolic health in adult offspring due to permanent changes in the structure and function of fetal organs in response to suboptimal placental function and environmental conditions during gestation.

For obvious reasons, experimental research cannot be conducted on humans. Therefore, the use of experimental animals, such as mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, sheep and pigs is critically important for understanding the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of placental insufficiency and abnormal fetal growth. This Special Issue, “Placentation in mammals: Development, Function and Pathology”, will focus on the role of the placenta in regulating fetal outcomes. Reviews and original research articles obtained from companion animals, livestock and laboratory animals are particularly welcome.

Themes for interest for submission include:

Structural and hemodynamic changes in the placenta during gestation;
Placental physiology, endocrinology and metabolism;
The role of inflammation in pregnancy;
Environmental and maternal conditions affecting placental growth and function;
Animal models of pregnancy complications;
Signaling pathways mediating communications between mother–placenta–fetus;
Placental contribution to fetal organogenesis;
Placental vascularization and nutrient transport;
Maternal microbiota and fetoplacental development;
Toxicological effects and their impact on fetoplacental development;
Fetal programming and Developmental Origins of Health and Disease.

Review and original research articles performed in relation to companion animals (e.g., dogs, cats, horses), livestock (e.g., sheep, goats, cows and pigs) and laboratory animals (e.g., rodents and rabbits) are particularly welcome.

Dr. Jorge Lopez-Tello
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Veterinary Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

reproduction
placenta
pregnancy
animal models
fetal growth
translational research
physiology
comparative anatomy

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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30 pages, 3107 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Obesity during Pregnancy in the Horse: Effect on Term Placental Structure and Gene Expression, as Well as Colostrum and Milk Fatty Acid Concentration

by Morgane Robles, Delphine Rousseau-Ralliard, Cédric Dubois, Tiphanie Josse, Émilie Nouveau, Michele Dahirel, Laurence Wimel, Anne Couturier-Tarrade and Pascale Chavatte-Palmer

Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(12), 691; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10120691 - 04 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1893

Abstract

In horses, the prevalence of obesity is high and associated with serious metabolic pathologies. Being a broodmare has been identified as a risk factor for obesity. In other species, maternal obesity is known to affect the development of the offspring. This article is a follow-up study of previous work showing that Obese mares (O, n = 10, body condition score > 4.25 at insemination) were more insulin resistant and presented increased systemic inflammation during pregnancy compared to Normal mares (N, n = 14, body condition score < 4 at insemination). Foals born to O mares were more insulin-resistant, presented increased systemic inflammation, and were more affected by osteoarticular lesions. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of maternal obesity on placental structure and function, as well as the fatty acid profile in the plasma of mares and foals, colostrum, and milk until 90 days of lactation, which, to our knowledge, has been poorly studied in the horse. Mares from both groups were fed the same diet during pregnancy and lactation. During lactation, mares were housed in pasture. A strong heat wave, followed by a drought, occurred during their 2nd and 3rd months of lactation (summer of 2016 in the Limousin region, France). In the present article, term placental morphometry, structure (stereology), and gene expression (RT-qPCR, genes involved in nutrient transport, growth, and development, as well as vascularization) were studied. Plasma of mares and their foals, as well as colostrum and milk, were sampled at birth, 30 days, and 90 days of lactation. The fatty acid composition of these samples was measured using gas chromatography. No differences between the N and O groups were observed for term placental morphometry, structure, or gene expression. No difference in plasma fatty acid composition was observed between groups in mares. The plasma fatty acid profile of O foals was more pro-inflammatory and indicated an altered placental lipid metabolism between birth and 90 days of age. These results are in line with the increased systemic inflammation and altered glucose metabolism observed until 18 months of age in this group. The colostrum fatty acid profile of O mares was more pro-inflammatory and indicated an increased transfer and/or desaturation of long-chain fatty acids. Moreover, O foals received a colostrum poorer in medium-chain saturated fatty acid, a source of immediate energy for the newborn that can also play a role in immunity and gut microbiota development. Differences in milk fatty acid composition indicated a decreased ability to adapt to heat stress in O mares, which could have further affected the metabolic development of their foals. In conclusion, maternal obesity affected the fatty acid composition of milk, thus also influencing the foal’s plasma fatty acid composition and likely participating in the developmental programming observed in growing foals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Placentation in Mammals: Development, Function and Pathology)

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15 pages, 8814 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developmental Ultrasound Characteristics in Guinea Pigs: Similarities with Human Pregnancy

by Alejandro A. Candia, Tamara Jiménez, Álvaro Navarrete, Felipe Beñaldo, Pablo Silva, Claudio García-Herrera, Amanda N. Sferruzzi-Perri, Bernardo J. Krause, Alejandro González-Candia and Emilio A. Herrera

Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(2), 144; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10020144 - 10 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2507

Abstract

Background: Biometrical and blood flow examinations are fundamental for assessing fetoplacental development during pregnancy. Guinea pigs have been proposed as a good model to study fetal development and related gestational complications; however, longitudinal growth and blood flow changes in utero have not been properly described. This study aimed to describe fetal and placental growth and blood flow of the main intrauterine vascular beds across normal guinea pig pregnancy and to discuss the relevance of this data for human pregnancy. Methods: Pregnant guinea pigs were studied from day 25 of pregnancy until term (day ~70) by ultrasound and Doppler assessment. The results were compared to human data from the literature. Results: Measurements of biparietal diameter (BPD), cranial circumference (CC), abdominal circumference, and placental biometry, as well as pulsatility index determination of umbilical artery, middle cerebral artery (MCA), and cerebroplacental ratio (CPR), were feasible to determine across pregnancy, and they could be adjusted to linear or nonlinear functions. In addition, several of these parameters showed a high correlation coefficient and could be used to assess gestational age in guinea pigs. We further compared these data to ultrasound variables from human pregnancy with high similarities. Conclusions: BPD and CC are the most reliable measurements to assess fetal growth in guinea pigs. Furthermore, this is the first report in which the MCA pulsatility index and CPR are described across guinea pig gestation. The guinea pig is a valuable model to assess fetal growth and blood flow distribution, variables that are comparable with human pregnancy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Placentation in Mammals: Development, Function and Pathology)

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11 pages, 1224 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Maternal and Fetal PI3K-p110α Deficiency Induces Sex-Specific Changes in Conceptus Growth and Placental Mitochondrial Bioenergetic Reserve in Mice

by Daniela Pereira-Carvalho, Esteban Salazar-Petres, Jorge Lopez-Tello and Amanda N. Sferruzzi-Perri

Vet. Sci. 2022, 9(9), 501; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9090501 - 13 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2913

Abstract

Fetal growth is reliant on placental formation and function, which, in turn, requires the energy produced by the mitochondria. Prior work has shown that both mother and fetus operate via the phosphoinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-p110α signalling pathway to modify placental development, function, and fetal growth outcomes. This study in mice used genetic inactivation of PI3K-p110α (α/+) in mothers and fetuses and high resolution respirometry to investigate the influence of maternal and fetal PI3K-p110α deficiency on fetal and placental growth, in relation to placental mitochondrial bioenergetics, for each fetal sex. The effect of PI3K-p110α deficiency on maternal body composition was also determined to understand more about the maternal-driven changes in feto-placental development. These data show that male fetuses were more sensitive than females to fetal PI3K-p110α deficiency, as they had greater reductions in fetal and placental weight, when compared to their WT littermates. Placental weight was also altered in males only of α/+ dams. In addition, α/+ male, but not female, fetuses showed an increase in mitochondrial reserve capacity, when compared to their WT littermates in α/+ dams. Finally, α/+ dams exhibited reduced adipose depot masses, compared to wild-type dams. These findings, thus, demonstrate that maternal nutrient reserves and ability to apportion nutrients to the fetus are reduced in α/+ dams. Moreover, maternal and fetal PI3K-p110α deficiency impacts conceptus growth and placental mitochondrial bioenergetic function, in a manner dependent on fetal sex. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Placentation in Mammals: Development, Function and Pathology)

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Review

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11 pages, 887 KiB

Open AccessReview

Importance of Water Transport in Mammalian Female Reproductive Tract

by Lluis Ferré-Dolcet and Maria Montserrat Rivera del Alamo

Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(1), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10010050 - 11 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1914

Abstract

Aquaporins (AQPs) are involved in water homeostasis in tissues and are ubiquitous in the reproductive tract. AQPs are classified into classical aquaporins (AQP0, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8), aquaglycerolporins (AQP3, 7, 9, and 10) and superaquaporins (AQP11 and 12). Nine AQPs were described in the mammalian female reproductive tract. Some of their functions are influenced by sexual steroid hormones. The continuous physiological changes that occur throughout the sexual cycle, pregnancy and parturition, modify the expression of AQPs, thus creating at every moment the required water homeostasis. AQPs in the ovary regulate follicular development and ovulation. In the vagina and the cervix, AQPs are involved mainly in lubrication. In the uterus, AQPs are mostly mediated by estradiol and progesterone to prepare the endometrium for possible embryo implantation and fetal development. In the placenta, AQPs are responsible for the fluid support to the fetus to maintain fetal homeostasis that ensures correct fetal development as pregnancy goes on. This review is focused on understanding the role of AQPs in the mammalian female reproductive tract during the sexual cycle of pregnancy and parturition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Placentation in Mammals: Development, Function and Pathology)

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