Introduction: Maternal obesity, diabetes and/or dyslipidaemia are associated with adverse gestational outcomes. The placenta may adapt to protect the fetus or it may become dysfunctional and contribute to poor outcomes. The purpose of this research is to evaluate in primary human trophoblasts interactions between glucose and lipid metabolism.
Methods: The protocol for trophoblast isolation from normal term placentas was optimised. Total glucose uptake was assessed after 36 h of culture over a 2 h period using [U-14C]-glucose at various cold glucose concentrations +/- 0.25 mM non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA, oleate/palmitate 1:1). Cells were also cultured for 3 days +/- epidermal growth factor (EGF) to promote syncytialisation +/- 0.1 mM NEFA. Lipid droplet formation was assessed by oil red O staining.
Preliminary results: Trophoblast yield was 200-600 million per placenta (>98% purity). Glucose uptake increased linearly with increasing glucose concentrations without reaching plateau with a trend for attenuation in the presence of NEFA. Lipid droplet formation was evident in the presence of NEFA with a trend for enhancement with EGF (preliminary data).
Conclusion: Glucose uptake into trophoblasts increases across a wide range of glucose concentrations, unlike glycolysis which plateaus at 5 mM (previously shown). Trophoblast lipid droplet formation may be enhanced by EGF.
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