Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9WL, UK.
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, M13 9WL, UK.
Mol Nutr Food Res. 2022 Oct;66(19):e2200013. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.202200013. Epub 2022 Aug 19.
During pregnancy, mother-to-fetus transfer of nutrients is mediated by the placenta; sub-optimal placental development and/or function results in fetal growth restriction (FGR), and the attendant risk of stillbirth, neurodevelopmental delay, and non-communicable diseases in adulthood. A maternal diet high in fruit and vegetables lowers the risk of FGR but the association cannot be explained fully by known macro- and micronutrients.
This study investigates if dietary-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) can regulate placental function. The study characterizes the microRNA and protein cargo of EVs isolated from watermelon, show they are actively internalized by human intestinal epithelial cells in vitro, use mass spectrometry to demonstrate that they alter the intestinal secretome and bioinformatic analyses to predict the likely affected pathways in cells/tissues distal to gut. Application of the watermelon EV-modified intestinal secretome to human placental trophoblast cells and ex vivo tissue explants affects the trophoblast proteome and key aspects of trophoblast behavior, including migration and syncytialization.
Dietary-derived plant EVs can modify intestinal communication with distal tissues, including the placenta. Harnessing the beneficial properties of dietary-derived plant EVs and/or exploiting their potential as natural delivery agents may provide new ways to improve placental function and reduce rates of FGR.
在妊娠期间，母体向胎儿的营养物质转移是由胎盘介导的；胎盘发育不良和/或功能障碍会导致胎儿生长受限（FGR），并随之增加胎儿死亡、神经发育迟缓以及成年后患非传染性疾病的风险。高水果和蔬菜饮食可降低 FGR 的风险，但这种关联不能完全用已知的宏量和微量营养素来解释。
本研究探讨了饮食衍生的细胞外囊泡（EVs）是否可以调节胎盘功能。本研究对从西瓜中分离出的 EVs 的 microRNA 和蛋白质货物进行了表征，表明它们在体外被人肠上皮细胞主动内化，使用质谱法证明它们改变了肠道分泌组，并通过生物信息学分析预测了对肠道远端细胞/组织可能产生影响的途径。将西瓜 EV 修饰的肠道分泌组应用于人胎盘滋养层细胞和离体组织外植体，会影响滋养层蛋白组和滋养层行为的关键方面，包括迁移和合体化。
饮食衍生的植物 EV 可以改变与肠道远端组织（包括胎盘）的通讯。利用饮食衍生的植物 EV 的有益特性和/或利用它们作为天然传递剂的潜力，可能为改善胎盘功能和降低 FGR 发生率提供新方法。
