Sex-specific regulation of stress-induced fetal glucocorticoid surge by the mouse placenta.

Sex-specific regulation of stress-induced fetal glucocorticoid surge by the mouse placenta. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2019 Apr 16;: Authors: Wieczorek A, Perani CV, Nixon M, Constancia M, Sandovici I, Zazara DE, Leone G, Zhang MZ, Arck PC, Solano ME Abstract Antenatal stress increases the prevalence of diseases in later life, which shows a strong sex-specific effect. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Maternal glucocorticoids can be elevated by stress and are potential candidates to mediate the effects of stress on the offspring sex-specifically. A comprehensive evaluation of dynamic maternal and placental mechanisms modulating fetal glucocorticoid exposure upon maternal stress was long overdue. Here, we addressed this gap in knowledge by investigating sex-specific responses to mid-gestational stress in mice. We observed increased levels of maternal corticosterone, the main glucocorticoid in rodents, along with higher corticosteroid binding globulin levels at mid-gestational in C57Bl/6 dams exposed to sound stress. This resulted in elevated corticosterone in female fetuses, whereas male offspring were unaffected. We identified that increased placental expression of the glucocorticoid inactivating enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11β-HSD2; Hsd11b2 gene) and ABC transporters, which mediate glucocorticoid efflux toward maternal circulation, protect male offspring from maternal glucocorticoid surges....
Source: American Journal of Physiology. Endocrinology and Metabolism - Category: Physiology Authors: Tags: Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab Source Type: research