The autophagy reaction in the human umbilical cord: a potential marker for estimating fetal nutrition and neonatal growth.
Kazuhito SekiguchiHiroaki MiyaharaMasanori InoueTomoki MaedaKenji IharaPublished in: The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians (2020)
Objective: To assess the induction of autophagy in the human umbilical cord for physiological adaptation against starvation.Methods: The expression of autophagy-related proteins (LC3-II, p62) in umbilical cord tissues from 40 neonates was assessed by Western blotting. The correlation between the expression of autophagy-related proteins and maternal findings (height, weight, body mass index [BMI]), placental weight, neonatal findings (gestational age, height, weight, Apgar score at 1 min and 5 min), and the pH of the umbilical arterial blood were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient test (p values of <.05 were considered significant). Venous blood findings (pH, pCO2, glucose, total protein, albumin, and lactic acid) were also evaluated in 16 neonates admitted to the NICU.Results: The expression of LC3-II was positively correlated with serum total protein (ρ = 0.564, p = .023). The p62 level was also correlated with maternal BMI (ρ = 0.376, p = .017), the neonatal Apgar score at 1 min (ρ = 0.331 p = .037), total protein (ρ = 0.588, p = .017), and albumin (ρ = 0.552, p = .027) positively. A multiple linear regression analysis that included clinical parameters related to fetal nutrition and neonatal growth revealed that serum total protein was significantly associated with both LC3-II (p = .024) and p62 (p = .034) in the umbilical cord.Conclusion: The LC3-II or p62 expression in the umbilical cord may suggest the autophagy reaction for the homeostasis of protein or amino acid metabolism in the perinatal period.
Keyphrases
- umbilical cord
- mesenchymal stem cells
- body mass index
- amino acid
- weight gain
- binding protein
- poor prognosis
- cell death
- physical activity
- birth weight
- endoplasmic reticulum stress
- oxidative stress
- signaling pathway
- gestational age
- bone marrow
- protein protein
- endothelial cells
- simultaneous determination
- weight loss
- preterm infants
- low birth weight
- preterm birth
- magnetic resonance imaging
- adipose tissue
- type diabetes
- lactic acid
- risk assessment
- gene expression
- liquid chromatography
- skeletal muscle
- long non coding rna
- pregnant women
- computed tomography
- body weight
- induced pluripotent stem cells
- blood glucose
- south africa
- drug induced
- data analysis