Background Assisted reproductive technology is the main treatment for infertility, more than 8 million babies have been born through it worldwide. While it has been associated with a variety of adverse pregnancy outcomes, which may affect the short- and long-term health of offspring.
Objective To investigate the effects of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation on placental function gene expression and fetal weight in mice.
Methods The blastocysts of naturally pregnant mice were transplanted into the uterus of naturally mating pseudopregnant mice (NC group, n=8) and pseudopregnant mice (COH group, n=8) after hyperovulation. In order to eliminate the confounders affecting the health of offspring, such as controlled ovarian hyperstimulation on oocytes, in vitro fertilization and in vitro embryo culture, the influence of uterine environment on placental function genes and fetal weight was studied separately. Fetal mice and placenta were taken and weighed at 18.5d of pregnancy. The expression of placenta growth-related imprinted genes was detected by q-PCR, and placenta growth-related genes were detected by Luminex liquid suspension chip technology.
Results Compared with the NC group, fetal weight, placental weight and placental efficiency decreased significantly in the controlled ovarian hyperstimulation group (P<0.05) and the expression levels of Igf-2, Peg3, H19, Mest, Cdkn1c, Mash2, Cd81, Plagl1, Zim1 and Ube3a also decreased in the controlled ovarian hyperstimulation group (P<0.05), so did the expression levels of placental growth-related cytokines VEGF, PIGF-2, PDGF-BB, MMP-2, MMP-9 and VEGFR2 (P<0.05).
Conclusion Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation can reduce the expression level of placental growth-related imprinted genes and placental growth-related cytokines, and decrease weight in offspring.
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