Placental expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ): relation to placental and fetal growth.
OBJECTIVE
The nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) contributes to placental development and thus to the maternofetal transfer of oxygen and nutrients that allow for prenatal growth. We tested the hypothesis that placental PPARγ expression relates to placental and fetal growth.


METHODS
Placentas (n = 116) were collected at term delivery of singleton infants who were born small- (SGA), appropriate- (AGA), or large-for-gestational-age (LGA) (n = 32 SGA, 55 AGA, and 29 LGA). Placentas and newborns were weighed at birth. Real-time PCR was used to assess placental expression of PPARγ as compared to the housekeeping gene GAPDH.


RESULTS
PPARγ expression in placentas from AGA and LGA infants was nearly 2-fold higher than in placentas from SGA infants. Placental PPARγ expression associated positively to placental and/or fetal weight at birth, particularly within the SGA subpopulation (P = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
PPARγ expression was found to be low in placentas of SGA fetuses and to associate positively to fetal and placental weights within this subpopulation.
Hospital Sant Joan de Déu,University of Barcelona, 08950 Esplugues, Barcelona, Spain.
Marta
M
Díaz
Judit
J
Bassols
Abel
A
López-Bermejo
Maria Dolores
MD
Gómez-Roig
Francis
F
de Zegher
Lourdes
L
Ibáñez
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000502:physiology*; D010929:Placentation; D011247:Pregnancy
D047495:PPAR gamma