The apelinergic system is implicated in fetoplacental development and is a target in developmental nutritional programming
Résumé
Apelin (APL) and its receptor APJ are expressed in numerous tissues in mammals.1 APL is also present in the blood where its level is related to the nutritional status and is correlated to insulin plasma level.2 Recent studies pointed out an emerging role of APL in cardiovascular regulations, energy metabolism and glucose homeostasis.1,3 We investigated the gene expression profile of this system and circulating APL levels during the gestation in rat. Plasma APL level is reduced in mothers at day 7 of pregnancy (E7) and then augmented until E21. In fetuses, APL concentration decreases from E17 to E21 and is comparable, at term, to maternal level. High levels of APJ and APL mRNAs were found at the fetoplacental interface (i.e. the mesometrial triangle and the placenta) and exogenous maternal administration of APL increases both placental glucose uptake and transplacental transport of glucose. In addition, high APJ/APL mRNAs were detected in numerous fetal tissues at term. Maternal food-restriction (FR) modulates drastically APJ/APL mRNAs levels at the fetoplacental interface and reduces circulating APL levels in both mothers and in growth-restricted fetuses. In adult male rat offspring from FR mothers, an increase basal plasma APL level was found suggesting a prenatal nutritional program- ming of this new endocrine system. Altogether, our findings propose that the apelinergic system is implicated in the fetoplacental unit development and may be targeted by prenatal nutritional disturbances resulting to the program- ming of metabolic diseases.
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