Fetal programming by androgen excess impairs liver lipid content and PPARg expression in adult rats

Author(s):  
Aimé Florencia Silva ◽  
Giselle Adriana Abruzzese ◽  
María José Ferrer ◽  
María Florencia Heber ◽  
Silvana Rocío Ferreira ◽  
...  

Abstract It is known that prenatal hyperandrogenization induces alterations since early stages of life, contributing to the development of polycystic ovary syndrome affecting the reproductive axis and the metabolic status, thus promoting others associated disorders, such as dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, liver dysfunction, and even steatosis. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of fetal programming by androgen excess on the hepatic lipid content and metabolic mediators at adult life. Pregnant rats were hyperandrogenized with daily subcutaneous injections of 1 mg of free testosterone from days 16 to 19 of pregnancy. The prenatally hyperandrogenized (PH) female offspring displayed two phenotypes: irregular ovulatory phenotype (PHiov) and anovulatory phenotype (PHanov), with different metabolic and endocrine features. We evaluated the liver lipid content and the main aspect of the balance between fatty acid (FA) synthesis and oxidation. We investigated the status of the peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) alpha and gamma, which act as lipid mediators, and the adipokine chemerin, one marker of liver alterations. We found that prenatal hyperandrogenization altered the liver lipid profile with increased FAs levels in the PHanov phenotype and decreased cholesterol content in the PHiov phenotype. FA metabolism was also disturbed, including decreased mRNA and protein PPARgamma levels and impaired gene expression of the main enzymes involved in lipid metabolism. Moreover, we found low chemerin protein levels in both PH phenotypes. In conclusion, these data suggest that prenatal hyperandrogenization exerts a negative effect on the liver and alters lipid content and metabolic mediators’ expression at adult age.

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 645-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giselle Adriana Abruzzese ◽  
Maria Florencia Heber ◽  
Fiorella Campo Verde Arbocco ◽  
Silvana Rocio Ferreira ◽  
Alicia Beatriz Motta

AbstractFetal programming by androgen excess is hypothesized as one of the main factors contributing to the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is more than a reproductive disorder, as women with PCOS also show metabolic and other endocrine alterations. Since both ovarian and reproductive functions depend on energy balance, the alterations in metabolism may be related to reproductive alterations. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of androgen excess during prenatal life on ovarian fuel sensors and its consequences on steroidogenesis. To this end, pregnant rats were hyperandrogenized with testosterone and the following parameters were evaluated in their female offspring: follicular development, PPARG levels, adipokines (including leptin, adiponectin, and chemerin as ovarian fuel sensors), serum gonadotropins (LH and FSH), the mRNA of their ovarian receptors, and the expression of steroidogenic mediators. At 60 days of age, the prenatally hyperandrogenized (PH) female offspring displayed both an irregular ovulatory phenotype and an anovulatory phenotype with altered follicular development and the presence of cysts. Both PH groups showed altered levels of both proteins and mRNA of PPARG and a different expression pattern of the adipokines studied. Although serum gonadotropins were not impaired, there were alterations in the mRNA levels of their ovarian receptors. The steroidogenic mediators Star, Cyp11a1, Cyp17a1, and Cyp19a1 were altered differently in each of the PH groups. We concluded that androgen excess during prenatal life leads to developmental programming effects that affect ovarian fuel sensors and steroidogenesis in a phenotype-specific way.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-130
Author(s):  
N Xita ◽  
A Tsatsoulis

ABSTRACT Objective Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder of premenopausal women, characterized by hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovaries, and chronic anovulation along with insulin resistance and abdominal obesity as frequent metabolic traits. Although, PCOS manifests clinically during adolescence, emerging data suggest that the natural history of PCOS may originate in intrauterine life. Evidence Acquisition Evidence from experimental, clinical, and genetic research supporting the hypothesis for the fetal origins of PCOS has been analyzed. Evidence Synthesis Female primates, exposed in utero to androgen excess, exhibit the phenotypic features of PCOS during adult life. Clinical observations also support a potential fetal origin of PCOS. Women with fetal androgen excess disorders, including congenital 21-hydroxylase deficiency and congenital adrenal virilizing tumors, develop features characteristic of PCOS during adulthood despite the normalization of androgen excess after birth. The potential mechanisms of fetal androgen excess leading to a PCOS phenotype in humans are not clearly understood. However, maternal and/or fetal hyperandrogenism can provide a plausible mechanism for fetal programming of PCOS, and this, in part, may be genetically determined. Thus, genetic association studies have indicated that common polymorphic variants of genes determining androgen activity or genes that influence the availability of androgens to target tissues are associated with PCOS and increased androgen levels. These genomic variants may provide the genetic link to prenatal androgenization in human PCOS. Conclusion Prenatal androgenization of the female fetus induced by genetic and environmental factors, or the interaction of both, may program differentiating target tissues toward the development of PCOS phenotype in adult life.


2016 ◽  
Vol 230 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giselle Adriana Abruzzese ◽  
Maria Florencia Heber ◽  
Silvana Rocio Ferreira ◽  
Leandro Martin Velez ◽  
Roxana Reynoso ◽  
...  

Prenatal hyperandrogenism is hypothesized as one of the main factors contributing to the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS patients have high risk of developing fatty liver and steatosis. This study aimed to evaluate the role of prenatal hyperandrogenism in liver lipid metabolism and fatty liver development. Pregnant rats were hyperandrogenized with testosterone. At pubertal age, the prenatally hyperandrogenized (PH) female offspring displayed both ovulatory (PHov) and anovulatory (PHanov) phenotypes that mimic human PCOS features. We evaluated hepatic transferases, liver lipid content, the balance between lipogenesis and fatty acid oxidation pathway, oxidant/antioxidant balance and proinflammatory status. We also evaluated the general metabolic status through growth rate curve, basal glucose and insulin levels, glucose tolerance test, HOMA-IR index and serum lipid profile. Although neither PH group showed signs of liver lipid content, the lipogenesis and fatty oxidation pathways were altered. The PH groups also showed impaired oxidant/antioxidant balance, a decrease in the proinflammatory pathway (measured by prostaglandin E2 and cyclooxygenase-2 levels), decreased glucose tolerance, imbalance of circulating lipids and increased risk of metabolic syndrome. We conclude that prenatal hyperandrogenism generates both PHov and PHanov phenotypes with signs of liver alterations, imbalance in lipid metabolism and increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome. The anovulatory phenotype showed more alterations in liver lipogenesis and a more impaired balance of insulin and glucose metabolism, being more susceptible to the development of steatosis.


1973 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoritaka Aoyama ◽  
Masashi Nakanishi ◽  
Kiyoshi Ashida

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriene A. Paiva ◽  
Helena F. Raposo ◽  
Amarylis C. B. A. Wanschel ◽  
Tarlliza R. Nardelli ◽  
Helena C. F. Oliveira

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the principal manifestation of liver disease in obesity and metabolic syndrome. By comparing hypertriglyceridemic transgenic mice expressing apolipoprotein (apo) CIII with control nontransgenic (NTg) littermates, we demonstrated that overexpression of apoCIII, independent of a high-fat diet (HFD), produces NAFLD-like features, including increased liver lipid content; decreased antioxidant power; increased expression of TNFα, TNFα receptor, cleaved caspase-1, and interleukin-1β; decreased expression of adiponectin receptor-2; and increased cell death. This phenotype is aggravated and additional NAFLD features are differentially induced in apoCIII mice fed a HFD. HFD induced glucose intolerance together with increased gluconeogenesis, indicating hepatic insulin resistance. Additionally, the HFD led to marked increases in plasma TNFα (8-fold) and IL-6 (60%) in apoCIII mice. Cell death signaling (Bax/Bcl2), effector (caspase-3), and apoptosis were augmented in apoCIII mice regardless of whether a HFD or a low-fat diet was provided. Fenofibrate treatment reversed several of the effects associated with diet and apoCIII expression but did not normalize inflammatory traits even when liver lipid content was fully corrected. These results indicate that apoCIII and/or hypertriglyceridemia plays a major role in liver inflammation and cell death, which in turn increases susceptibility to and the severity of diet-induced NAFLD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A741-A742
Author(s):  
Domingo Mugnolo ◽  
Erica Giraldo ◽  
Maria Perez Lana ◽  
Susana Beatriz Campeni

Abstract Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common hormonal disorders that affects between 5- 10% of women of reproductive age. It is currently considered a complex and multifactorial disease with metabolic, cardiovascular implications and represents per se an increased cancer risk. PATIENTS with PCOS routinely have menstrual disorders, hyperandrogenism, infertility and reproductive complications such as recurrent abortions, gestational diabetes, intrauterine growth restriction, pregnancy induced hypertension that give rise to underweight newborns and condition metabolic diseases to adult life and increased risk of cancer, especially breast and endometrial cancer. Insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism are the most important etiopathogenic factors in PCOS. On the other hand, subjects exposed to an adverse microenvironment in the intrauterine stage develop compensating responses to survive, a process called fetal programming. Prenatal exposure to androgens and/or insulin resistance may act as fetal programming factors and cause restriction of intrauterine growth, obesity and insulin resistance in offspring. Newborn may have an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, increased incidence of hypertensive, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. Prevention of these complications will be achieved if women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome are treated appropriately throughout their lives, but especially before and during their pregnancy. Only in this way can the risk of them be reduced, representing a better quality and greater life expectancy.


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