Key result
Placental expression of the FADS3 gene was significantly lower in pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction and preterm birth compared to appropriate for gestational age pregnancies.
Why the study?
Desaturation enzymes are key in placental fatty acid metabolism, and gene expression coding for desaturases may be associated with pregnancy abnormalities.
Cross-Sectional (n=34)
No
Absolute Event Rate: 4713.5% vs 9149.67%
p-value: p=<0.05
Placental FADS3 gene expression is significantly reduced in pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction and preterm birth compared to normal pregnancies.
Hypothesis-generating for FADS3 in placental disorders; observational data leave causal and clinical roles open.
Background: The period of intrauterine development is a key period in human development. Its progress largely depends on the function of the placenta, which is responsible for the transportation and biosynthesis of fatty acids. Desaturation enzymes play a key role in placental fatty acid metabolism. The expression of genes coding for desaturases may be associated with pregnancy abnormalities. The objective of this study was to determine the transcriptional activity of the placental genes Fatty Acid Desaturase 1 (FADS1), Fatty Acid Desaturase 2 (FADS2) and Fatty Acid Desaturase 3 (FADS3) in women who gave birth to: appropriate for gestational age (AGA), large for gestational age (LGA), small for gestational age (SGA), intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and preterm birth (PTB) infants. Method: The study took place at the Tychy Specialist Hospital in Poland. 34 pregnant women aged 21-37 years old took part. The placental samples were taken from a site about 2-3 cm away from the umbilical cord attachment. The collected tissue sections were stored, according to the manufacturer’s protocol, in RNAlater (Sigma-Aldrich, St Louis, MO, USA), until required for molecular analysis. The expression profile of FADS1, FADS2 and FADS3 was determined by RT-qPCR. Results: In terms of the FADS1 and FADS2 genes, there was no difference in the expression between the groups. However, differences in the expression of the FADS3 gene were found. Analysis of the transcriptional activity of the FADS1, FADS2 and FADS3 genes in most of the examined groups showed significant differences. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the transcriptional activity of genes changes with the severity of intrauterine disorders and is associated with foetal lipid disorders linked to a greater accumulation of fat in the foetal tissues.
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Bobiński et al. (2020) conducted a cross-sectional in Pregnancy pathologies (IUGR, PTB, LGA, SGA) (n=34). Pregnancy pathologies (IUGR, PTB, LGA, SGA) vs. Appropriate for gestational age (AGA) pregnancies was evaluated on Placental FADS3 gene expression (mRNA copies per 1 μg of total RNA) (p=<0.05). Placental expression of the FADS3 gene was significantly lower in pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction and preterm birth compared to appropriate for gestational age pregnancies.
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