Markantes, G.K.; Panagodimou, E.; Koika, V.; Mamali, I.; Kaponis, A.; Adonakis, G.; Georgopoulos, N.A. Placental mRNA Expression of Neurokinin B Is Increased in PCOS Pregnancies with Female Offspring. Biomedicines2024, 12, 334.
Markantes, G.K.; Panagodimou, E.; Koika, V.; Mamali, I.; Kaponis, A.; Adonakis, G.; Georgopoulos, N.A. Placental mRNA Expression of Neurokinin B Is Increased in PCOS Pregnancies with Female Offspring. Biomedicines 2024, 12, 334.
Markantes, G.K.; Panagodimou, E.; Koika, V.; Mamali, I.; Kaponis, A.; Adonakis, G.; Georgopoulos, N.A. Placental mRNA Expression of Neurokinin B Is Increased in PCOS Pregnancies with Female Offspring. Biomedicines2024, 12, 334.
Markantes, G.K.; Panagodimou, E.; Koika, V.; Mamali, I.; Kaponis, A.; Adonakis, G.; Georgopoulos, N.A. Placental mRNA Expression of Neurokinin B Is Increased in PCOS Pregnancies with Female Offspring. Biomedicines 2024, 12, 334.
Abstract
Current research suggests that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) might originate in utero and implicates the placenta in its pathogenesis. Kisspeptin (KISS1) and neurokinin B (NKB) are produced by the placenta in high amounts, and they have been implicated in several pregnancy complications associated with placental dysfunction. However, their placental expression has not been studied in PCOS. We isolated mRNA after delivery from the placentae of 31 PCOS and 37 control women with term, uncomplicated, singleton pregnancies. The expression of KISS1, NKB, and neurokinin receptors 1, 2, and 3 was analyzed with real-time polymerase chain reaction, using β-actin as the reference gene. Maternal serum and umbilical cord levels of total testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), free androgen index (FAI), androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), and estradiol were also assessed. NKB placental mRNA expression was higher in PCOS versus controls in pregnancies with female offspring. NKB expression depended on fetal gender, being higher in pregnancies with male fetuses. NKB was positively correlated with umbilical cord FAI and AMH, and KISS1 with cord testosterone and FAI; there was also a strong positive correlation between NKB and KISS1 expression. Women with PCOS had higher serum AMH and FAI and lower SHBG than controls. Our findings indicate that NKB might be involved in PCOS-related placental dysfunction, and warrant further investigation. Studies assessing the placental expression of NKB should take fetal gender into consideration.
Biology and Life Sciences, Endocrinology and Metabolism
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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