Placental homeostasis of tryptophan is essential for fetal development and programming. The two main metabolic pathways (serotonin and kynurenine) produce bioactive metabolites with immunosuppressive, neurotoxic, or neuroprotective properties and their concentrations in the fetoplacental unit must be tightly regulated throughout gestation. Here, we investigated the expression/function of key enzymes/transporters involved in tryptophan pathways during mid-to-late gestation in rat placenta and fetal organs. Quantitative PCR and heatmap analysis revealed the differential expression of several genes involved in serotonin and kynurenine pathways. To identify the flux of substrates through these pathways, Droplet Digital PCR, western blot, and functional analyses were carried out for the rate-limiting enzymes and transporters. Our findings show that placental tryptophan metabolism to serotonin is crucial in mid-gestation, with a subsequent switch to fetal serotonin synthesis. Concurrently, at term, the close interplay between transporters and metabolizing enzymes of both placenta and fetal organs orchestrates serotonin homeostasis and prevents hyper/hypo-serotonemia. On the other hand, the placental production of kynurenine increases during pregnancy, with a low contribution of fetal organs throughout gestation. Any external insult to this tightly regulated harmony of transporters and enzymes within the fetoplacental unit may affect optimal in utero conditions and have a negative impact on fetal programming.

• Klíčová slova
• fetal organs, fetal programming, placenta–brain axis, pregnancy, rat model, tryptophan metabolism,
• MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• metabolické sítě a dráhy MeSH
• placenta embryologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• plod embryologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• potkani Wistar MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• transkriptom * MeSH
• tryptofan genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• vývojová regulace genové exprese MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• tryptofan MeSH

AIM: Serotonin is crucial for proper foetal development, and the placenta has been described as a 'donor' of serotonin for the embryo/foetus. However, in later stages of gestation the foetus produces its own serotonin from maternally-derived tryptophan and placental supply is no longer needed. We propose a novel model of serotonin homeostasis in the term placenta with special focus on the protective role of organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3/SLC22A3). METHODS: Dually perfused rat term placenta was employed to quantify serotonin/tryptophan transport and metabolism. Placental membrane vesicles isolated from human term placenta were used to characterize serotonin transporters on both sides of the syncytiotrophoblast. RESULTS: We obtained the first evidence that serotonin is massively taken up from the foetal circulation by OCT3. This uptake is concentration-dependent and inhibitable by OCT3 blockers of endogenous (glucocorticoids) or exogenous (pharmaceuticals) origin. Population analyses in rat placenta revealed that foetal sex influences placental extraction of serotonin from foetal circulation. Negligible foetal serotonin levels were detected in maternal-to-foetal serotonin/tryptophan transport and metabolic studies. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate that OCT3, localized on the foetus-facing membrane of syncytiotrophoblast, is an essential component of foeto-placental homeostasis of serotonin. Together with serotonin degrading enzyme, monoamine oxidase-A, this offers a protective mechanism against local vasoconstriction effects of serotonin in the placenta. However, this system may be compromised by OCT3 inhibitory molecules, such as glucocorticoids or antidepressants. Our findings open new avenues to explore previously unsuspected/unexplained complications during pregnancy including prenatal glucocorticoid excess and pharmacotherapeutic risks of treating pregnant women with OCT3 inhibitors.

• Klíčová slova
• foetal development, pharmacotherapy, placenta, pregnancy, serotonin, transport,
• MeSH
• homeostáza MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• membránové transportní proteiny pro serotonin metabolismus   MeSH
• monoaminoxidasa metabolismus   MeSH
• placenta * metabolismus   MeSH
• plod MeSH
• proteiny přenášející organické kationty metabolismus   MeSH
• serotonin * metabolismus   MeSH
• sexuální faktory MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Názvy látek
• membránové transportní proteiny pro serotonin MeSH
• monoaminoxidasa MeSH
• proteiny přenášející organické kationty MeSH
• serotonin * MeSH
• SLC6A4 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• solute carrier family 22 (organic cation transporter), member 3 MeSH Prohlížeč

Lamivudine is one of the antiretroviral drugs of choice for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) in HIV-positive women. In this study, we investigated the relevance of drug efflux transporters P-glycoprotein (P-gp) (MDR1 [ABCB1]), BCRP (ABCG2), MRP2 (ABCC2), and MATE1 (SLC47A1) for the transmembrane transport and transplacental transfer of lamivudine. We employed in vitro accumulation and transport experiments on MDCK cells overexpressing drug efflux transporters, in situ-perfused rat term placenta, and vesicular uptake in microvillous plasma membrane (MVM) vesicles isolated from human term placenta. MATE1 significantly accelerated lamivudine transport in MATE1-expressing MDCK cells, whereas no transporter-driven efflux of lamivudine was observed in MDCK-MDR1, MDCK-MRP2, and MDCK-BCRP monolayers. MATE1-mediated efflux of lamivudine appeared to be a low-affinity process (apparent Km of 4.21 mM and Vmax of 5.18 nmol/mg protein/min in MDCK-MATE1 cells). Consistent with in vitro transport studies, the transplacental clearance of lamivudine was not affected by P-gp, BCRP, or MRP2. However, lamivudine transfer across dually perfused rat placenta and the uptake of lamivudine into human placental MVM vesicles revealed pH dependency, indicating possible involvement of MATE1 in the fetal-to-maternal efflux of the drug. To conclude, placental transport of lamivudine does not seem to be affected by P-gp, MRP2, or BCRP, but a pH-dependent mechanism mediates transport of lamivudine in the fetal-to-maternal direction. We suggest that MATE1 might be, at least partly, responsible for this transport.

• MeSH
• ABC transportéry metabolismus   MeSH
• biologický transport fyziologie   MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• buňky MDCK MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• lamivudin metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• P-glykoproteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• placenta metabolismus   MeSH
• potkani Wistar MeSH
• protein spojený s mnohočetnou rezistencí k lékům 2 MeSH
• proteiny přenášející organické kationty metabolismus   MeSH
• proteiny spojené s mnohočetnou rezistencí k lékům metabolismus   MeSH
• psi MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• psi MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• ABC transportéry MeSH
• ABCC2 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• lamivudin MeSH
• P-glykoproteiny MeSH
• protein spojený s mnohočetnou rezistencí k lékům 2 MeSH
• proteiny přenášející organické kationty MeSH
• proteiny spojené s mnohočetnou rezistencí k lékům MeSH