Placental-Liver Crosstalk in the Control of Pregnancy

The placenta is a potent endocrine organ that secretes hormones with metabolic effects into maternal circulation. On the other hand, the liver, which is the main detoxification organ of the body, plays a key role in regulating maternal glucose and insulin metabolism during pregnancy. Failures in the production of placental hormones and/or the liver to adapt its structure and function to pregnancy can result in metabolic diseases such as gestational diabetes. Previous work has shown that the imprinted Igf2-H19 locus is involved in controlling placental endocrine function in mice. This study used conditional mis-expression of the Igf2-H19 locus to induce placental endocrine malfunction and study its consequences on hepatic gene regulation during pregnancy.