AQP9-MEDIATED LACTATE TRANSPORT: AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF ENERGY IN PLACENTA

SZPILBARG, NATALIA; ACOSTA, LUCAS; MEDINA, YOLLYSETH; DAMIANO, ALICIA E.

Simposio; Simposio International Symposium on Reproductive Health: Overcoming barriers for research in reproduction (ISRH 2021); 2021

Sociedad chilena de reproducción y desarrollo

Introduction: Emerging evidence shows that placental AQP9 is not involved in the transfer of waterbetween the mother and the fetus. AQP9 is an aquaglyceroporin that also permeates other solutessuch as lactate. In other tissues, AQP9 may transport lactate as an alternative energy substrate, havingimportant participation as a nutrient sensor, detecting the availability of nutrients in the cell.Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the participation of AQP9 in the lactate transfer across thehuman placenta.Methodology: This study was approved by the ethics committee of the Hospital Nacional Dr. Prof.A. Posadas. Explants from normal term placentas were cultured in low glucose with or without Llactate, and in presence and absence of AQP9 inhibitors (0.3mM HgCl2, a general blocker of AQPs,or 0.5mM Phloretin, to block AQP9). Medium supplemented with glucose was used as control. Cellviability was assessed by MTT assay and LDH release. Apoptosis indexes were analyzed byBax/Bcl-2 protein expression ratio and TUNEL assay.Results: In low glucose medium, MTT decreased while LDH release did not change compared tocontrols, suggesting that cell death is not due to necrosis. Moreover, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and apoptoticnuclei increased (n=5, p