title: Maternal Smoking Dysregulates Protein Expression in Second Trimester Human Fetal Livers in a Sex-Specific Manner.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Maternal smoking during pregnancy has adverse effects on the offspring (eg, increased likelihood of metabolic syndrome and infertility), which may involve alterations in fetal liver function.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to analyze, for the first time, the human fetal liver proteome to identify pathways affected by maternal smoking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fetal liver proteins extracted from elective second trimester pregnancy terminations (12-16 weeks of gestation) were divided in four balanced groups based on sex and maternal smoking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Livers were collected from 24 morphologically normal fetuses undergoing termination for nonmedical reasons and analyzed at the Universities of Aberdeen and Glasgow.
  
  
  METHODS
  Protein extracts were resolved by 2D-PAGE and analyzed with SameSpots software. Ingenuity pathway analysis was used to investigate likely roles of dysregulated proteins identified by tandem liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant expression differences between one or more groups (fetal sex and/or maternal smoking) were found in 22 protein spots. Maternal smoking affected proteins with roles in post-translational protein processing and secretion (ERP29, PDIA3), stress responses and detoxification (HSP90AA1, HSBP1, ALDH7A1, CAT), and homeostasis (FTL1, ECHS1, GLUD1, AFP, SDHA). Although proteins involved in necrosis and cancer development were affected in both sexes, pathways affecting cellular homeostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and apoptosis were affected in males and pathways affecting glucose metabolism were affected in females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The fetal liver exhibits marked sex differences at the protein level, and these are disturbed by maternal smoking. The foundations for smoke-induced post-natal diseases are likely to be due to sex-specific effects on diverse pathways.
authors: Panagiotis
authors: P
authors: Filis
authors: Nalin
authors: N
authors: Nagrath
authors: Margaret
authors: M
authors: Fraser
authors: David C
authors: DC
authors: Hay
authors: John P
authors: JP
authors: Iredale
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: O'Shaughnessy
authors: Paul A
authors: PA
authors: Fowler
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000378:metabolism*; D020543:Proteome / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D040901:Proteomics; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D020543:Proteome