title: Ovine uterine space restriction alters placental transferrin receptor and fetal iron status during late pregnancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fetal growth restriction is reported to be associated with impaired placental iron transport. Transferrin receptor (TfR) is a major placental iron transporter in humans but has not been studied in sheep. TfR is regulated by both iron and nitric oxide (NO), the molecule produced by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). We hypothesized that limited placental development downregulates both placental TfR and eNOS expression, thereby lowering fetal tissue iron.
  
  
  METHODS
  An ovine surgical uterine space restriction (USR) model, combined with multifetal gestation, tested the extremes of uterine and placental adaptation. Blood, tissues, and placentomes from non-space restricted (NSR) singletons were compared with USR fetuses at gestational day (GD) 120 or 130.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When expressed proportionate to fetal weight, liver iron content did not differ, whereas renal iron was higher in USR vs. NSR fetuses. Renal TfR protein expression did not differ, but placental TfR expression was lower in USR fetuses at GD130. Placental levels of TfR correlated to eNOS. TfR was localized throughout the placentome, including the hemophagous zone, implicating a role for TfR in ovine placental iron transport.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fetal iron was regulated in an organ-specific manner. In USR fetuses, NO-mediated placental adaptations may prevent the normal upregulation of placental TfR at GD130.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Perinatal Research Laboratory, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
authors.forename: Mary Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jason M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Habeck
authors.forename: Katie M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Jill M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: Jayanth
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramadoss
authors.forename: Sharon E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Blohowiak
authors.forename: Ronald R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Magness
authors.forename: Pamela J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kling
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D010929:Placentation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012756:Sheep; D014599:Uterus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D007501:Iron; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III