Maternal diabetes increases FOXO1 activation during embryonic cardiac development

SATO H; MARÍA LAURA LEONARDI; ROBERTI SABRINA; ALICIA JAWERBAUM; ROMINA HIGA

MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR ENDOCRINOLOGY.

ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2023 vol. 575

0303-7207

Maternal diabetes is known to affect heart development. Previous studies in the heart of adult offspring have shown increased activation of FOXO1 (a transcription factor involved in a wide variety of cellular functions such as apoptosis, cellular proliferation, reactive oxygen species detoxification, and antioxidant and pro-inflammatory processes) and of target genes related to inflammatory and fibrotic processes. In this work, we aimed to evaluate the effects of maternal diabetes on FOXO1 activation as well as on the expression of target genes relevant to the formation of the cardiovascular system during organogenesis (day 12 of gestation). The embryonic heart from diabetic rats showed increased active FOXO1 levels related to increases in the levels of 4-hydroxynonenal (an oxidative stress marker) and increased mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase, angiopoietin-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) (all FOXO1 target genes relevant for cardiac development). Results also showed increased extracellular and intracellular immunolocalization of MMP2 in the myocardium and its projection into the lumen of the cavity (trabeculations) together with decreased immunostaining of connexin 43, a protein relevant for cardiac function that is target of MMP2. In conclusion, increases in active FOXO1 induced by maternal diabetes initiate early during embryonic heart development and are related to increases in markers of oxidative stress and of proinflammatory cardiac development, and to an altered expression of proteolytic enzymes that regulate connexin 43. These alterations may lead to an altered programming of cardiovascular development in the embryonic heart of diabetic rats.