Gestational stress, placental norepinephrine transporter and offspring fertility.
Chronic cold stress produces adrenergic overload that can affect fetal development. The placental norepinephrine transporter (NET) clears norepinephrine (NE) from both maternal circulation and the fetus during gestation. If this system fails, NE clearance can be reduced, leading to high fetal exposure to NE. The main aim of this study was to determine the changes in NET expression during gestation and their relationship with the functional capacity of NET to transport NE under stressful conditions. Additionally, this study correlated these findings with the reproductive capacity of 2nd-generation progeny. Pregnant rats were subjected to chronic cold stress at 4°C for 3 h each day throughout their pregnancies. We found that exposure of pregnant rats to sympathetic stress caused the following effects: increased NE and corticosterone levels throughout pregnancy, decreased capacity of the placenta to clear NE from the fetus to the mother's circulation, altered NET protein levels depending on the sex of the fetus and increased placental and body weights of pups. For the first time, we also described the disrupted fertility of progeny as adults. Increased NE plasma levels during pregnancy under sympathetic stress conditions correlated with decreased NET functionality that provoked changes in the development of progeny and their fertility in adulthood.
Laboratory of NeurobiochemistryFaculty of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile.
Beatriz
B
Piquer
Laboratory of NeurobiochemistryFaculty of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile.
Jose L
JL
Fonseca
Laboratory of NeurobiochemistryFaculty of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile hlara@ciq.uchile.cl.
Hernán E
HE
Lara
D000818:Animals; D003080:Cold Temperature; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D050484:Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000737:chemistry*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012737:Sex Factors; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*
D050484:Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D003345:Corticosterone; D009638:Norepinephrine