南方医科大学学报 ›› 2025, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (8): 1581-1588.doi: 10.12122/j.issn.1673-4254.2025.08.02

• • 上一篇    

孕期恐应激通过降低大鼠胎盘氨基酸转运体表达损害子代认知发育

杜志欣1,2(), 王悦阳1, 杨丽萍1,2(), 侯俊林1(), 孙建华2, 范朋北3, 王耀辉1, 李笑琳1   

  1. 1.河南中医药大学,中医学院,河南 郑州 450046
    2.河南中医药大学,第一附属医院妇产科,河南 郑州 450046
    3.南方医科大学中医药学院,广东 广州 510515
  • 收稿日期:2025-02-11 出版日期:2025-08-20 发布日期:2025-09-05
  • 通讯作者: 杨丽萍,侯俊林 E-mail:dzx19961212@163.com;bioylp@126.com;houjunlin2005@163.com
  • 作者简介:杜志欣,在读博士研究生,E-mail: dzx19961212@163.com
  • 基金资助:
    国家自然科学基金(81973596);河南省科技攻关(212102310341)

Prenatal fear stress impairs cognitive development in offspring rats by disrupting placental amino acid transport

Zhixin DU1,2(), Yueyang WANG1, Liping YANG1,2(), Junlin HOU1(), Jianhua SUN2, Pengbei FAN3, Yaohui WANG1, Xiaolin LI1   

  1. 1.School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
    2.Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
    3.School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
  • Received:2025-02-11 Online:2025-08-20 Published:2025-09-05
  • Contact: Liping YANG, Junlin HOU E-mail:dzx19961212@163.com;bioylp@126.com;houjunlin2005@163.com
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(81973596)

摘要:

目的 探讨孕期恐应激对胎盘氨基酸转运及子代情绪和认知的影响。 方法 将30只Wistar孕鼠随机分为正常组和恐应激组,15只/组。恐应激组通过旁观电击法造模。于孕20 d,每组随机选取6只孕鼠采血并收集胎盘样本,剩余孕鼠自然分娩,子鼠延续母鼠分组并喂养至8周龄。通过行为学实验评估孕鼠及子鼠的情绪变化及认知能力;HE染色观察孕鼠胎盘结构变化;生物信息学筛选恐应激胎盘差异表达的转运体基因并进行功能富集分析;Western blotting与qRT-PCR检测胎盘A系氨基酸转运体,L系氨基酸转运体以及具有特殊转运功能的转运体的蛋白及基因表达;高效液相色谱法检测胎鼠血清氨基酸含量;相关性分析探讨胎鼠血清氨基酸含量与成年后子代行为学之间的关系。 结果 在旷场实验中,与正常组相比,恐应激组孕鼠穿格次数、中央区时间均降低(P<0.01);在场景恐惧实验中,恐应激组孕鼠的冻结时间与冻结时间百分比均提高(P<0.01);恐应激组胎盘质量,胎鼠质量及胎儿胎盘比重均降低(P<0.01);恐应激组胎盘中共发现28个差异表达的转运体,且主要富集在氨基酸转运等条目上;恐应激组胎鼠血清中的氨基酸的含量降低(P<0.05);恐应激组孕鼠胎盘中的A系氨基酸转运体Slc38a1的蛋白及基因表达均下降(P<0.05);L系氨基转运体Slc43a1与Slc43a2的基因及蛋白表达均下降(P<0.05),Slc7a8的蛋白表达下降(P<0.05);其他氨基酸转运体slc6a6、slc1a1与slc6a9的mRNA与蛋白表达均下降(P<0.05);Y迷宫实验与新物体识别实验结果显示,恐应激组子鼠新物体偏好指数降低(P<0.01),自发交替率降低(P<0.01);高架十字迷宫实验与悬尾实验结果显示,恐应激组子鼠进入开臂次数百分比、进入开臂时间百分比均降低(P<0.001),悬尾不动时间增加(P<0.01);相关性分析显示,早期血清氨基酸含量的下降与成年后认知能力降低相关。 结论 孕期恐应激可降低胎盘氨基酸转运体(如Slc38a1、Slc43a1、Slc43a2、Slc6a6、Slc1a1、Slc6a9)的基因与蛋白表达,导致胎鼠血清中的氨基酸水平下降,从而可能影响成年后子代的认知能力。

关键词: 恐应激, 胎盘, 氨基酸转运, 子代情绪, 认知发育

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the impact of prenatal fear stress on placental amino acid transport and emotion and cognition development in offspring rats. Methods Thirty pregnant Wistar rats were randomized equally into control and fear stress (induced using an observational foot shock model) groups. In each group, placental and serum samples were collected from 6 dams on gestational day 20, and the remaining rats delivered naturally and the offspring rats were raised under the same conditions until 8 weeks of age. Emotional and cognitive outcomes of the offspring rats were assessed with behavioral tests, and placental structure was examined using HE staining. Bioinformatics analysis was used to identify differentially expressed placental transporter genes under fear stress. The expressions of system A and system L amino acid transporters, along with other specialized transporters, were detected using qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Fetal serum amino acid concentrations were determined by HPLC. The correlations between fetal amino acid levels and behavioral outcomes of the offspring rats were analyzed. Results The dams with fear stress showed reduced open-field activity and increased freezing behavior with significantly decreased placental weight, fetal weight, and fetal-to-placental ratio. Bioinformatics analysis revealed 28 differentially expressed transporter genes involved mainly in amino acid transport. In the fear stress group, fetal serum amino acid levels were significantly lowered and Slc38a1, Slc43a1, Slc43a2, Slc7a8, Slc6a6, Slc1a1 and Slc6a9 mRNA and protein expressions were all downregulated. The offspring rats in fear stress group exhibited decreased novel object preference and spontaneous alternation with reduced open arm exploration and increased immobility in emotional tests. Lower early-life amino acid levels was found to correlate with impaired adult cognition. Conclusion Prenatal fear stress in rats impairs placental amino acid transporter expression and reduces fetal serum amino acid levels, potentially contributing to long-term cognitive deficits in the offspring rats.

Key words: fear stress, placenta, amino acid transport, offspring emotion, cognition development