Distinct Changes in Placental Ceramide Metabolism Characterize Type 1 and 2 Diabetic Pregnancies with Fetal Macrosomia or Preeclampsia.
Miira Marjuska KlemettiSruthi AlahariMartin PostIsabella CaniggiaPublished in: Biomedicines (2023)
Disturbances of lipid metabolism are typical in diabetes. Our objective was to characterize and compare placental sphingolipid metabolism in type 1 (T1D) and 2 (T2D) diabetic pregnancies and in non-diabetic controls. Placental samples from T1D, T2D, and control pregnancies were processed for sphingolipid analysis using tandem mass spectrometry. Western blotting, enzyme activity, and immunofluorescence analyses were used to study sphingolipid regulatory enzymes. Placental ceramide levels were lower in T1D and T2D compared to controls, which was associated with an upregulation of the ceramide degrading enzyme acid ceramidase (ASAH1). Increased placental ceramide content was found in T1D complicated by preeclampsia. Similarly, elevated ceramides were observed in T1D and T2D pregnancies with poor glycemic control. The protein levels and activity of sphingosine kinases (SPHK) that produce sphingoid-1-phosphates (S1P) were highest in T2D. Furthermore, SPHK levels were upregulated in T1D and T2D pregnancies with fetal macrosomia. In vitro experiments using trophoblastic JEG3 cells demonstrated increased SPHK expression and activity following glucose and insulin treatments. Specific changes in the placental sphingolipidome characterize T1D and T2D placentae depending on the type of diabetes and feto-maternal complications. Increased exposure to insulin and glucose is a plausible contributor to the upregulation of the SPHK-S1P-axis in diabetic placentae.
Keyphrases
- type diabetes
- glycemic control
- pregnancy outcomes
- blood glucose
- preterm birth
- gestational age
- poor prognosis
- tandem mass spectrometry
- pregnant women
- cardiovascular disease
- early onset
- birth weight
- wound healing
- liquid chromatography
- high performance liquid chromatography
- insulin resistance
- cell proliferation
- weight loss
- induced apoptosis
- high resolution
- ultra high performance liquid chromatography
- body mass index
- mass spectrometry
- gas chromatography
- binding protein
- south africa
- signaling pathway
- small molecule
- solid phase extraction
- risk factors
- amino acid
- blood pressure
- fatty acid
- physical activity