London, 26 January 2015. Stress hormones in the mother can affect foetal development, according to a study published today in The Journal of Physiology.
To test whether high stress levels in pregnant mice had an impact on their offspring, pregnant mice received the natural glucocorticoid corticosterone at different times during pregnancy, either from day 11 to 16 (20 females), from day 14-19 (31 females), or not at all (74 control females).
Researchers found that increased levels of glucocorticoid stress hormones in pregnant mice caused the mother to eat more but reduced the ability of the placenta to transport glucose to her foetus.
Dr Owen Vaughan, lead author of the study explained: “Together with previous work, the findings show that maternal glucocorticoids regulate foetal nutrition. Higher glucocorticoid hormone levels in the mother (as seen in stressful conditions), can reduce glucose transport across the placenta and lead to a decrease in foetal weight.
“Glucocorticoid levels in pregnant women may determine the specific combination of nutrients received by the foetus and influence the long-term metabolic health of their children as a result. This could have implications for women stressed during pregnancy or treated clinically with glucocorticoids, if the mechanisms are similar in humans.
“Our research showed that under stress, certain genes in the placenta were modified. One of the genes shown to be altered in the placenta by maternal stress hormones was Redd1. This gene is believed to signal availability of other substances, like oxygen, and to interact with intracellular pathways regulating growth and nutrient uptake in other tissues of the body. Future studies may prove this molecule is important in the placenta, in linking environmental cues to the nutrition of the foetus.”
Ends
Notes for Editors:
- Glucocorticoids are steroid hormones, which are important in regulating metabolism in adults as well as in the foetus. Glucocorticoid levels are raised by stress related to the physical or social environment, disease or pregnancy. It is currently unknown if glucocorticoids levels in the mother can influence the materno-foetal supply of glucose.
- Pregnancy in mice lasts 21 days. The days on which corticosterone was given corresponds to different development phases of the placenta: day 11: definitive placenta is established, Day 16: placenta reaches maximum weight, Day 14-19: period during which the foetus reaches maximum growth.
- Pregnant mice were given the natural glucocorticoid corticosterone in their drinking water and allowed to eat freely or limited to the normal food intake of untreated mice. This treatment was designed to produce glucocorticoid levels in the mother similar to those seen in stressful conditions, such as during food shortage, for approximately the last quarter of pregnancy. We then used tracer technology to measure the amount of glucose crossing the placenta in a specific period and related this to foeto-placental growth and the signalling pathways in the placenta involved in growth and nutrient transport.
- Full paper title: Vaughan OR, Fisher HM, Dionelis KN, Jefferies EC, Higgins JS, Musial B, Sferruzzi-Perri AN & Fowden AL (2015) Corticosterone alters materno-fetal glucose partitioning and insulin signalling in pregnant mice. DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2014.287177
- The Journal of Physiology publishes advances in physiology, which increase our understanding of how our bodies function in health and disease. http://jp.physoc.org
- The Physiological Society brings together over 3000 scientists from over 60 countries. The Society promotes physiology with the public and parliament alike. It supports physiologists by organising world-class conferences and offering grants for research and also publishes the latest developments in the field in its three leading scientific journals, The Journal of Physiology, Experimental Physiology and Physiological Reports. www.physoc.org
Contacts:
Dr Owen Vaughan, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge; Orv20@cam.ac.uk
Dr Helga Groll, Media and Communications Officer, The Physiological Society; +44 (0)20 7269 5727, pressoffice@physoc.org