ERRγ1 and Aromatase Expression in Human Placental Tissues from Term Deliveries of Large for Gestational Age Newborns

Abstract

Plain Language SummaryEvents during fetal development are associated with susceptibility to chronic disease in adulthood. Extreme birth weight, for newborns of small for gestational age or large for gestational age (LGA), has been associated with an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome in adulthood. Even though some intrauterine events during fetal development have been described, there is still a long way for identifying all the factors that are involved in fetal programming. The placenta has an important role in intrauterine programming because it controls the intrauterine environment by supplying oxygen, nutrients, and specific hormones involved in fetal development. Estrogens and androgens in maternal and fetal circulations play an important role in determining a physiological placental phenotype. ERRγ1 expression in placental tissues is involved in aromatase activity regulation and hence in intrauterine estrogen-androgen balance. In this study, we propose that the dysregulation of ERRγ1 in placental tissue might modify the estrogen-androgen balance in the intrauterine environment, representing one of the key factors in the regulation of fetal programming in LGA newborns.