SRI Supplement to Reproductive Sciences - Volume 25 Number 1 - March 2018 - 133A

Scientific Abstracts

Reproductive Cycling in Adult Baboons That Were IUGR at Birth
is Similar to Age-Matched Controls. Hillary F Huber†,2 McKenna M
Considine,2 Cun Li,1,2 Peter W Nathanielsz*.1,2 1Texas Biomedical Research
Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States; 2University of Wyoming,
Laramie, WY, United States.
INTRODUCTION: IUGR is a risk factor for health complications
in adulthood, such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Few
data are available to evaluate female reproductive function in adulthood
that accompanies IUGR. We developed a baboon model of IUGR and
investigated adult female menstrual cycle characteristics.
METHODS: Pregnant baboons ate ad libitum (controls, CTR) or 70% ad
lib producing IUGR F1. Reproductive characteristics were investigated in
adult female IUGR baboons (7-11 yrs) and age-matched CTR. Sex skin
swelling was visually observed 3x/wk in adult IUGR (n=8) and CTR
(n=10) and scored from 0 (no swelling) to 4 (max swelling) for 8-10
full cycles. Plasma was assayed for anti-mullerian hormone (AMH).
Differences between IUGR and CTR in AMH and in mean duration of
cycle, max swelling, zero swelling, and days (d) swollen at any level were
evaluated by Student's t-tests. Chi-square tested for difference in number
of abnormal cycles. Levene's test investigated homogeneity of variances.
Data presented as Mean ± SEM.
RESULTS: There were no differences between CTR and IUGR in cycle
duration (29.9±2.0 d vs 31.0±2.3, respectively, p=0.28), max swelling
duration (8.8±2.6 d vs 10.7±2.7, p=0.15), number of abnormal cycles
(0.4±0.7 vs 0.4±0.5, p=0.95), or AMH (12.9±5.6 ng/ml vs 14.6±8.2,
p=0.72). Compared to CTR, IUGR spent fewer days per cycle with zero
swelling (12.9±1.9 d vs 10.9±2.0, p=0.04) and more days with any level
of swelling (16.9±2.4 d vs 20.3±3.1, p=0.02). Variances were similar
between CTR and IUGR in all measures.
CONCLUSION: IUGR adult females were similar to CTR in many
measures of fertility. Increased variance in cycle duration has been
reported in perimenopausal women and aged baboons (14499490*), but
IUGR did not show any difference in variance from CTR. Ovarian reserve
(measured by AMH) was similar between IUGR and CTR. However,
IUGR spent more days per cycle swollen than did CTR, an effect that
has been associated with psychosocial stress in baboons (4983966*). This
may be related to the increased aggressive behavior previously reported
in the IUGR baboon cohort (25891005*). It may also reflect underlying
endocrine differences between IUGR and CTR. These findings indicate
IUGR reproductive cycles are mostly normal and not suggestive of
decreased fertility. Fertility has not been tested in these females as we wish
to maintain their life course histories similarly. Funding: R24OD010916,
R24 RR021367-01, R24 RR025866. *PMID

T-071
Perinatal Nicotine Exposure Decreases Specific CpG Methylation at
NOX2 Promoter Leading to Enhance NOX2 Expression and Vascular
Tone in Offspring. Zewen Chen†, Peng Zhang†, Yong Li†, Chiranjib
Dasgupta†, Lei Gong†, Jun Ke†, Lubo Zhang*, Daliao Xiao*. Loma
Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States.
INTRODUCTION: Our previous studies have demonstrated that
perinatal nicotine exposure results in a gender-dependent development
of hypertensive phenotype in adult male offspring. We have further
demonstrated that the development of hypertensive phenotype is
associated with an increased NADPH oxidase (NOX) and reactive oxygen
species (ROS) production in the vasculatures. However the molecular
epigenetic mechanisms underlying nicotine-mediated enhanced NOX
expression remain unknown. The present study tested the hypothesis that
perinatal nicotine exposure causes specific CpG demethylation at NOX2
gene promoter, resulting in increased NOX2 expression and enhanced
vascular tone.
METHODS: Nicotine was administered to pregnant rats via subcutaneous
osmotic minipumps. Experiments were performed in adult (~6 monthold) male offspring.
RESULTS: Perinatal nicotine exposure decreased DNA methyltransferases
type 1 (DNMT1) expression in the aortic rings as compared with the saline
control group. The aortic DNA methylation levels of NOX2 promoter at

133A

the CpG site (CREB binding site) was lower in perinatal nicotine-treated
than in saline control adult offspring. The vascular protein levels of NOX2,
but not NOX1 and NOX4, were significantly higher in nicotine-treated
offspring than the saline-treated groups. Perinatal nicotine significantly
increased mesenteric artery vascular tone which was reversed by the
treatment of NOX inhibitor.
CONCLUSION: These data suggest that DNA hypomethylation may
be one of the key mechanisms underlying nicotine-mediated NOX2
overexpression and the enhanced NOX2 expression may contribute
to the increased ROS production and the exaggerated vascular tone in
offspring. (Supported in part by the NIH grants: NIH/R01HL135623,
R03DA041492, and R01HD088039).

T-072
Influence of Maternal Adiposity, Preterm Birth and Birth Weight
Centiles on Early Childhood Obesity in an Indigenous Australian
Pregnancy through to Early Childhood Cohort Study. Kirsty G
Pringle,4 Yu Qi Lee†,4 Loretta Weatherall,5 Lyniece Keogh,5 Christopher
Diehm,5 Claire T Roberts,3 Sandra Eades,1 Alex Brown,2 Roger Smith,4
Eugenie R Lumbers,4 Leanne J Brown,5 Clare E Collins,4 Kym M Rae.4
1
Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia; 2South
Australian Health & Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, Australia;
3
University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia; 4University of Newcastle,
Newcastle, Australia; 5University of Newcastle, Tamworth, Australia.
INTRODUCTION: Childhood obesity rates are higher among
Indigenous compared to non-Indigenous Australian children. It has been
hypothesised that early-life influences beginning with the intrauterine
environment predict the development of obesity in the offspring.
METHODS: In 227 mother-child dyads from the Gomeroi gaaynggal
cohort, associations between prematurity, Gestation Related-Optimal
Weight (GROW) centiles, maternal adiposity (percentage body fat,
visceral fat area) or maternal random plasma glucose levels and offspring
BMI and adiposity (abdominal circumference, subscapular skinfold
thickness) in early childhood (1-3 years) were assessed.
RESULTS: Maternal random plasma glucose concentrations were
positively associated with infant birth weight (P=0.005) and GROW
adjusted birth weight centiles (P=0.008). There was a significant
association between maternal percentage body fat (P=0.02) and visceral fat
area (P=0.00) and infant body weight. BMI in early childhood (1-3 years)
was significantly higher in offspring born preterm compared with those
born at term (P=0.03). GROW adjusted birth weight centiles significantly
explained the variation in body weight (P=0.01), BMI (P=0.007) and
abdominal circumference (P=0.039) at early childhood (1-3 years).
CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that being born preterm, large
for gestational age or exposed to an obesogenic intrauterine environment
and higher random plasma glucose concentrations are associated with
increased obesity risk in early childhood. Future strategies should aim to
reduce the prevalence of overweight/obesity in women of child-bearing
age and emphasise the importance of having optimal glycaemia during
pregnancy, particularly in the Indigenous community.

T-073
Programming Effects of Antenatal Glucocorticoids in Adult Sheep
Left Ventricle. Angela G Massmann, Jie Zhang, Laura A Cox, Young Lim
Oh, Wonjoon Seong, Jorge P Figueroa*. Wake Forest School of Medicine,
Winston-Salem, NC, United States.
INTRODUCTION: Exposure to glucocorticoids (GC) in the perinatal
period is associated with several cardiometabolic alterations. We and
others have shown elevations in blood pressure and increased vascular
reactivity. The aim of the present study was to sequence the entire left
ventricular transcriptome to glean information on the pathways involved
in the observed ventricular hypertrophy.
METHODS: Pregnant sheep were treated with two IM doses of
betamethasone (Beta, 0.17 mg/kg) or vehicle (V) 24-h apart at 80 days
gestation and allowed to deliver at term. We harvested heart (LV) tissue
from 18 mo sheep of both sexes treated with either vehicle (V; 3 females,
5 males) or Beta (4 females; 5 males). We performed High Throughput
RNASeq on LV samples. RNA was extracted (TRIzol) and cleaned

Thursday Posters

T-070

Reproductive Sciences Vol. 25, Supplement 1, March 2018
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SRI Supplement to Reproductive Sciences - Volume 25 Number 1 - March 2018
