CCAAT-enhancer-binding Protein β (C/EBPβ) and Downstream Human Placental Growth Hormone Genes Are Targets for Dysregulation in Pregnancies Complicated by Maternal Obesity

Human chorionic somatomammotropin (CS) and placental growth hormone variant (GH-V) act as metabolic adaptors in response to maternal insulin resistance, which occurs in normal pregnancy. Maternal obesity can exacerbate this resistance, suggesting that CS, GH-V, or transcription factors that regulate their production might be targets. The human CS genes, hCS-A and hCS-B, flank the GH-V gene. A significant decrease in pre-term placental CS/GH-V RNA levels was observed in transgenic mice containing the CS/GH-V genes in a model of high fat diet (HFD)-induced maternal obesity. Similarly, a decrease in CS/GH-V RNA levels was detected in term placentas from obese (body mass index (BMI) >= 35 kg/m(2)) versus lean (BMI 20-25 kg/m(2)) women. Aspecific decrease in transcription factor CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein beta (C/EBP beta) RNA levels was also seen with obesity; C/EBP beta is required for mouse placenta development and is expressed, like CS and GH-V, in syncytiotrophoblasts. Binding of C/EBP beta to the CS gene downstream enhancer regions, which by virtue of their position distally flank the GH-V gene, was reduced in placenta chromatin from mice on a HFD and in obese women; a corresponding decrease in RNA polymerase II associated with CS/GH-V promoters was also observed. Detection of decreased endogenous CS/GH-V RNA levels in human placental tumor cells treated with C/EBP beta siRNA is consistent with a direct effect. These data provide evidence for CS/GH-V dysregulation in acute HFD-induced obesity in mouse pregnancy and chronic obesity in human pregnancy and implicate C/EBP beta, a factor associated with CS regulation and placental development.