Placenta obesity

INTRODUCTION: The study of the macroscopic appearance of the placenta may represent a useful tool to understand the pathophysiology of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate biometry and morphology of placentas in relation to maternal, neonatal and pregnancy course characteristics. METHODS: Clinical and placental data (biometry and macroscopic features of chorionic disk and adnexa) from unselected consecutive singleton pregnancies were recorded at the same Institution...

Agouti-related peptide (AgRP/ Agrp ) within the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) contributes to the control of energy balance, and dysregulated Agrp may contribute to metabolic adaptation during prolonged obesity. In mice, three isoforms of Agrp are encoded via distinct first exons. Agrp-A (ENSMUST00000005849.11) contributed 95% of total Agrp in mouse ARC, while Agrp-B (ENSMUST00000194654.2) dominated in placenta (73%). Conditional deletion of Klf4 from Agrp -expressing cells ( Klf4Agrp -KO mice) reduced Agrp mRNA and increased energy expenditure but had no effects on food intake or the relative abundance of Agrp isoforms in the ARC...

Vitamin D deficiency is a highly prevalent obstetrical concern associated with an increased risk of complications like pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and growth retardation. Vitamin D status in pregnancy is also linked to long-term offspring health, e.g., the risk of obesity, metabolic disease, and neurodevelopmental problems. Despite the suspected role of vitamin D in placental diseases and fetal development, there is limited knowledge on the effect of vitamin D on placental function. Thus, we performed next-generation RNA sequencing, comparing the placental transcriptome from uncomplicated term pregnancies receiving the often-recommended dose of 10 µg vitamin D/day ( n = 36) with pregnancies receiving 90 µg/day ( n = 34) from late first trimester to delivery...

INTRODUCTION: Intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) is defined as death of the fetus after the 20th week of gestation. Despite regular monitoring the incidence of IUFD remains high. This study aims to assess the incidence and maternal conditions associated with IUFD over term pregnancies in a twelve-year period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted on a population of women in whom IUFD was diagnosed in a term pregnancy during the period from January 2010 to December 2022...

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)...

The field of human microbiome and gut microbial diversity research has witnessed a profound transformation, driven by advances in omics technologies. These advancements have unveiled essential connections between microbiome alterations and severe conditions, prompting the development of new frameworks through epidemiological studies. Traditionally, it was believed that each individual harbored unique microbial communities acquired early in life, evolving over the course of their lifetime, with little acknowledgment of any prenatal microbial development, but recent research challenges this belief...

OBJECTIVE: to determine the effect of gestational weight gain and perinatal outcomes in obese women who underwent and did not undergo bariatric surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: a retrospective observational cohort study was conducted. The gestational weight gain was classified as insufficient, adequate or excessive according to the guidelines of the United States Institute of Medicine: 4.99-9.07 kg for body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m2. Weight gain was calculated as the difference between the weight at the first visit of the 1st trimester and the weight at the visit of the 3rd trimester...

CONTEXT: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a complex obstetric condition affecting localised glucose metabolism resulting in systemic metabolic dysfunction. OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study aimed to explore visceral adipose tissue (VAT) as an integral contributor to GDM, focusing on elucidating the specific contribution of obesity and GDM pathology to maternal outcomes. METHODS: Fifty-six nulliparous pregnant women were recruited including normal glucose tolerant (NGT) (n = 30) and GDM (n = 26) participants...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the elasticity of placenta using shear wave elastography in normal and high-risk pregnancies in the third trimester. METHODS: The prospective, observational study was conducted at the Dow Institute of Radiology, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, from September 15, 2022, to January 15, 2023, and comprised singleton pregnant women during 28-40 weeks of gestation who were referred from the obstetric department. The subjects were divided into normal pregnancy group A and high-risk pregnancy group B...

OBJECTIVE: We present high-level mosaic trisomy 21 at amniocentesis in a pregnancy associated with positive non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for trisomy 21, prenatal progressive decrease of the trisomy 21 cell line, acute fatty liver of pregnancy and intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) in late gestation. CASE REPORT: A 32-year-old, primigravid woman underwent amniocentesis at 17 weeks of gestation because of positive NIPT for trisomy 21 at 12 weeks of gestation...

PCOS is an endocrine disorder characterized by chronic anovulation, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovaries. Its etiology is uncertain. It is debated whether BPA would be a component of the environmental factor in the etiology of PCOS. Contamination by BPA can occur from food packaging (exposure during the diet) and through skin absorption and/or inhalation. It can be transferred to the fetus via the placenta or to the infant via breast milk, and it can be found in follicular fluid, fetal serum, and amniotic fluid...

This review focuses on SARS-CoV-2 infection in placental and fetal tissues. Viremia is rare in infected pregnant women, and the virus is seldom amplified from placental tissues. Definite and probable placental infection requires the demonstration of viral RNA or proteins using in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Small subsets (1.0-7.9%, median 2.8%) of placentas of SARS-CoV-2-positive women showed definite infection accompanied by a characteristic histopathology named SARS-CoV-2 placentitis (SP)...

UNLABELLED: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a pathological condition in which the placenta releases a hormone called human placental lactogen that prevents maternal insulin uptake. GDM is characterised by varying degrees of carbohydrate intolerance and is first identified during pregnancy. Around 5-17% of pregnancies are GDM pregnancies. Older or obese women have a higher risk of developing GDM during gestation. Hyperglycemia is a classic manifestation of GDM and leads to alterations in eNOS and iNOS expression and subsequently causes ROS and RNS overproduction...

BACKGROUND: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a group of widely used chemicals and humans are exposed to them in their daily life. PBDEs exposure during pregnancy may have adverse effects on pregnant women and their fetuses. Nevertheless, limited information is available on the levels and determinants of PBDEs exposure in Chinese pregnant women. METHODS: The internal exposure levels of eight PBDEs (BDE-28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154, 183, and 209) in placental samples of 1280 pregnant women from Zunyi birth cohort were analyzed using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry...

Maternal obesity is a risk factor for pregnancy complications. Obesity caused by a high-fat diet (HFD) may alter maternal glucose/glycogen metabolism. Here, our objective was to investigate whether the placental vasculature is altered via changes in gene expression and glycogen-rich cells using a preclinical mouse model of diet-induced obesity. We subjected female FVB/N mice to one of three feeding regimens: regular chow (RC) given at preconception and during pregnancy (Control); RC given at preconception and then a HFD during pregnancy (HFD-P); or HFD initiated 4 weeks preconception and during pregnancy (HFD-PreCP)...

INTRODUCTION: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with a higher risk of adverse maternal outcomes, but its effects on maternal and perinatal outcomes of twin pregnancies remain conflicting. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included all primipara who delivered twin pregnancies at a single tertiary perinatal center between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022. Excluded were those who had a single pregnancy, twin pregnancies with pre-existing diabetes, missing information on GDM screening, a delivery before gestational 28 weeks, complications related to monochorionic placentation, multifetal reduction, fetal anomalies, and monochorionic monoamniotic twins...

Approximately 50% of human pregnancies humans fail, most before or during implantation. One factor contributing to pregnancy loss is abnormal glucose metabolism in the endometrium. Glucose contributes to preimplantation embryo development, uterine receptivity, and attachment of the embryo. Across multiple species, the epithelium stores glucose as the macromolecule glycogen at estrus. This reserve is mobilized during the preimplantation period. Glucose from circulation or glycogenolysis can be secreted into the uterine lumen for use by the embryo or metabolized via glycolysis, producing ATP for the cell...

INTRODUCTION: Obesity in pregnancy is associated with adverse long-term consequences both in the mother and in offspring. Maternal obesity induces a metabolic-inflammatory state that could impact on placental function and could mediate the adverse outcomes. The purpose of this study was to compare the major placental histological characteristics of non-diabetic obese women to lean controls, focusing on uncomplicated pregnancies. METHODS: Prospective case-control study comparing placental histopathological features between 122 non-diabetic obese women and 185 non-obese controls...

During the past century, a vast number of organic chemicals have been manufactured and used in industrial, agricultural, public health, consumer products, and other applications. The widespread use in bulk quantities of halogenated organic chemicals (HOCs; also called Organohalogens), including chlorinated, brominated, and fluorinated compounds, and their persistent nature have resulted in global environmental contamination. Increasing levels of HOCs in environmental media (i.e ., air, water, soil, sediment) and in human tissues including adipose tissue, breast milk, and placenta continue to be a cause of ecological and human health concern...

During the severe acute respiratory distress virus coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, many women were infected during their pregnancies. The SARS-CoV-2-induced coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has an impact on maternal health and pregnancy outcomes; peripartum and perinatal morbidity and mortality are increased. Pregnancy is considered a risk factor for severe COVID-19 course. Additional risk factors during pregnancy are diabetes mellitus, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and obesity. Systemic inflammation can lead to severe metabolic dysregulation with ketoacidosis...