Severe maternal stress alters placental function, resulting in adipose tissue and liver dysfunction in offspring of mice

The developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis is that future lifestyle diseases in offspring are associated with intrauterine origins in the mother; stress during pregnancy is a risk factor for these diseases in offspring. This study aimed to clarify association of maternal stress with placental dysfunction and offspring development in mice. We applied water stress for 24 h during late pregnancy to explore the metabolic response of offspring to a normal diet (ND) and high-fat diet (HFD). Placental functions were altered by maternal stress, reducing the birth weight of the offspring. In the later life of offspring fed with ND, maternal stress impaired systemic glucose tolerance and altered adipokine secretion in adipose tissue and/or liver. The female offspring of stress-induced dams were light in body weight with lower adipose tissue and smaller adipocytes in both the ND and HFD groups. Abnormal situations, such as dysregulation of plasma glucose levels and fatty liver despite and lower increases in body weight, were observed in the female offspring of stress-induced dams, especially in the HFD-treated group. These findings suggest that long-lasting abnormal conditions and responses to metabolic challenges in maternal stress-induced offspring are linked to placental dysregulation and fetal programming.

Automated summary

The study aimed to investigate the association between maternal stress and placental dysfunction, as well as offspring development. Maternal stress was found to alter placental functions, leading to lower birth weight in offspring. In the offspring fed with a normal diet, maternal stress impaired glucose tolerance and altered adipokine secretion in adipose tissue and/or liver. The female offspring of stress-induced dams showed lighter body weight, lower adipose tissue, and smaller adipocytes, especially in the high-fat diet group. These findings suggest that placental dysregulation and fetal programming underlie the long-lasting abnormal conditions and responses to metabolic challenges in maternal stress-induced offspring.