Gut microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids in gestational diabetes and placental ferroptosis
This project investigates the role of gut microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in placental ferroptosis and insulin resistance in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Using a streptozotocin-induced GDM rat model, antibiotic-induced microbiota depletion, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, GC-MS-based metabolite analysis, and an insulin-resistant trophoblast cell model, the study examines how alterations in gut microbial composition and SCFA levels are associated with placental oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, and dysregulation of the GPX4/ACSL4/LPCAT3 ferroptosis pathway. The project aims to define a gut-placenta metabolic axis involved in GDM pathogenesis and to provide a resource for understanding how microbial metabolites may influence placental function and metabolic complications during pregnancy.