Age and Sex-Related Changes in Human First-Trimester Placenta Transcriptome and Insights into Adaptative Responses to Increased Oxygen

Physiological oxygen tension rises dramatically in the placenta between 8 and 14 weeks of gestation. Abnormalities in this period can lead to gestational diseases, whose underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We explored the changes at mRNA level by comparing the transcriptomes of human placentas at 8–10 gestational weeks and 12–14 gestational weeks. A total of 20 samples were collected and divided equally into four groups based on sex and age. Cytotrophoblasts were isolated and sequenced using RNAseq. Key genes were identified using two different methods: DESeq2 and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). We also constructed a local database of known targets of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) subunits, alpha and beta, to investigate expression patterns likely linked with changes in oxygen. Patterns of gene enrichment in and among the four groups were analyzed based on annotations of gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathways. We characterized the similarities and differences between the enrichment patterns revealed by the two methods and the two conditions (age and sex), as well as those associated with HIF targets. Our results provide a broad perspective of the processes that are active in cytotrophoblasts during the rise in physiological oxygen, which should benefit efforts to discover possible drug-targeted genes or pathways in the human placenta

Apport des méthodes projectives à la compréhension du fonctionnement psychique d’adolescents borderline.

International audienc

Apports des méthodes projectives à la compréhension du fonctionnement psychique d'adolescents borderline

Sous la direction de Maurice Corcos, Alexandra Pham-Scottez et Mario Speranza ; préface de Philippe Jeammet.Edition numérique : ISBN 978-2-1007-0555-9

Apports des méthodes projectives à la compréhension du fonctionnement psychique d’adolescents borderline

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Expression, Localization, and Activity of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor in the Human Placenta

International audienceThe human placenta is an organ between the blood of the mother and the fetus, which is essential for fetal development. It also plays a role as a selective barrier against environmental pollutants that may bypass epithelial barriers and reach the placenta, with implications for the outcome of pregnancy. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is one of the most important environmental-sensor transcription factors and mediates the metabolism of a wide variety of xenobiotics. Nevertheless, the identification of dietary and endogenous ligands of AhR suggest that it may also fulfil physiological functions with which pollutants may interfere. Placental AhR expression and activity is largely unknown. We established the cartography of AhR expression at transcript and protein levels, its cellular distribution, and its transcriptional activity toward the expression of its main target genes. We studied the profile of AhR expression and activity during different pregnancy periods, during trophoblasts differentiation in vitro, and in a trophoblast cell line. Using diverse methods, such as cell fractionation and immunofluorescence microscopy, we found a constitutive nuclear localization of AhR in every placental model, in the absence of any voluntarily-added exogenous activator. Our data suggest an intrinsic activation of AhR due to the presence of endogenous placental ligands

La verve

Sait-on ce que c’est que la verve ? Chacun peut la voir à l’œuvre, l’entendre, en parler, qu’il s’agisse de caractériser la manière d’être d’une parole vive ou le style d’un écrivain, voire d’un artiste en général. Si la notion ne revêt a priori aucune légitimité critique et brille par son absence dans la tradition rhétorique, elle affleure néanmoins avec insistance comme une possible catégorie esthétique dont on voudrait ici esquisser les contours. Car elle permet de penser et de dépasser une série d’oppositions binaires : verve orale (improvisée) ou verve écrite (réfléchie) ; bavardage ou parole inspirée ; verve de personnage ou verve d’auteur ; verve gaie ou verve sombre ; verve profuse ou « verve courte ». Au-delà de ces ambivalences, ce qui s’y joue relève peut-être de l’excès comme indissociable compensation d’un manque énigmatique. Il s’agit donc d’éprouver la valeur et l’efficacité de la notion dans le champ critique moderne

Dual effects of resveratrol on arterial damage induced by insulin resistance in aged mice

International audienceAging leads to increased insulin resistance and arterial dysfunction, with oxidative stress playing an important role. This study explored the metabolic and arterial effects of a chronic treatment with resveratrol, an antioxidant polyphenol compound that has been shown to restore insulin sensitivity and decrease oxidative stress, in old mice with or without a high-protein diet renutrition care. High-protein diet tended to increase insulin resistance and atheromatous risk. Resveratrol improved insulin sensitivity in old mice fed standard diet by decreasing homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance and resistin levels. However, resveratrol did not improve insulin resistance status in old mice receiving the high-protein diet. In contrast, resveratrol exhibited deleterious effects by increasing inflammation state and superoxide production and diminishing aortic distensibility. In conclusion, we demonstrate that resveratrol has beneficial or deleterious effects on insulin sensitivity and arterial function, depending on nutritional status in our models.</p