Liquid crystal monomers induce placental development and progesterone release dysregulation through transplacental transportation
Abstract Embryonic and fetal development can be affected during gestation by exposure to xenobiotics that cross the placenta. Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are emerging contaminants commonly found in indoor environments; however, whether they can cross the placenta and affect placental development...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56552-z |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832571526317080576 |
|---|---|
| author | Shaohan Zhang Zhipeng Cheng Tao Zhang Yubin Ding Hongkai Zhu Lei Wang Hongwen Sun |
| author_facet | Shaohan Zhang Zhipeng Cheng Tao Zhang Yubin Ding Hongkai Zhu Lei Wang Hongwen Sun |
| author_sort | Shaohan Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Embryonic and fetal development can be affected during gestation by exposure to xenobiotics that cross the placenta. Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are emerging contaminants commonly found in indoor environments; however, whether they can cross the placenta and affect placental development remains unexplored. Here, we develop an evaluation system that integrates human biomonitoring, uterine perfusion in pregnant rats, and placental cells. We find fourteen out of the fifty-six LCMs that are detected in maternal and cord serum samples from ninety-three healthy pregnant women, at median levels of 13.9 and 18.1 ng/mL, respectively. Subsequent explorations of in utero exposure in rats indicate that aromatic amino acid transporter 1 (SLC16A10) mediates transplacental transportation of the LCMs. Placental cells exposed to LCMs exhibit delayed placental development and reduced progesterone release. These findings show that SLC16A10-mediated transplacental transportation of LCMs inhibits placental development and progesterone release, highlighting the importance of gestational exposure to emerging contaminants. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8121d502e2e94aa6a294f030715702bd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-8121d502e2e94aa6a294f030715702bd2025-02-02T12:32:03ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-0116111710.1038/s41467-025-56552-zLiquid crystal monomers induce placental development and progesterone release dysregulation through transplacental transportationShaohan Zhang0Zhipeng Cheng1Tao Zhang2Yubin Ding3Hongkai Zhu4Lei Wang5Hongwen Sun6MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai UniversityMOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai UniversitySchool of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityMOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai UniversityMOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai UniversityMOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai UniversityAbstract Embryonic and fetal development can be affected during gestation by exposure to xenobiotics that cross the placenta. Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are emerging contaminants commonly found in indoor environments; however, whether they can cross the placenta and affect placental development remains unexplored. Here, we develop an evaluation system that integrates human biomonitoring, uterine perfusion in pregnant rats, and placental cells. We find fourteen out of the fifty-six LCMs that are detected in maternal and cord serum samples from ninety-three healthy pregnant women, at median levels of 13.9 and 18.1 ng/mL, respectively. Subsequent explorations of in utero exposure in rats indicate that aromatic amino acid transporter 1 (SLC16A10) mediates transplacental transportation of the LCMs. Placental cells exposed to LCMs exhibit delayed placental development and reduced progesterone release. These findings show that SLC16A10-mediated transplacental transportation of LCMs inhibits placental development and progesterone release, highlighting the importance of gestational exposure to emerging contaminants.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56552-z |
| spellingShingle | Shaohan Zhang Zhipeng Cheng Tao Zhang Yubin Ding Hongkai Zhu Lei Wang Hongwen Sun Liquid crystal monomers induce placental development and progesterone release dysregulation through transplacental transportation Nature Communications |
| title | Liquid crystal monomers induce placental development and progesterone release dysregulation through transplacental transportation |
| title_full | Liquid crystal monomers induce placental development and progesterone release dysregulation through transplacental transportation |
| title_fullStr | Liquid crystal monomers induce placental development and progesterone release dysregulation through transplacental transportation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Liquid crystal monomers induce placental development and progesterone release dysregulation through transplacental transportation |
| title_short | Liquid crystal monomers induce placental development and progesterone release dysregulation through transplacental transportation |
| title_sort | liquid crystal monomers induce placental development and progesterone release dysregulation through transplacental transportation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56552-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shaohanzhang liquidcrystalmonomersinduceplacentaldevelopmentandprogesteronereleasedysregulationthroughtransplacentaltransportation AT zhipengcheng liquidcrystalmonomersinduceplacentaldevelopmentandprogesteronereleasedysregulationthroughtransplacentaltransportation AT taozhang liquidcrystalmonomersinduceplacentaldevelopmentandprogesteronereleasedysregulationthroughtransplacentaltransportation AT yubinding liquidcrystalmonomersinduceplacentaldevelopmentandprogesteronereleasedysregulationthroughtransplacentaltransportation AT hongkaizhu liquidcrystalmonomersinduceplacentaldevelopmentandprogesteronereleasedysregulationthroughtransplacentaltransportation AT leiwang liquidcrystalmonomersinduceplacentaldevelopmentandprogesteronereleasedysregulationthroughtransplacentaltransportation AT hongwensun liquidcrystalmonomersinduceplacentaldevelopmentandprogesteronereleasedysregulationthroughtransplacentaltransportation |