RNA-seq analysis-based study on the effects of gestational diabetes mellitus on macrosomia

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024 Apr 10:15:1330704. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1330704. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Background: Both the mother and the infant are negatively impacted by macrosomia. Macrosomia is three times as common in hyperglycemic mothers as in normal mothers. This study sought to determine why hyperglycemic mothers experienced higher macrosomia. Methods: Hematoxylin and Eosin staining was used to detect the placental structure of normal mother(NN), mothers who gave birth to macrosomia(NM), and mothers who gave birth to macrosomia and had hyperglycemia (DM). The gene expressions of different groups were detected by RNA-seq. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened with DESeq2 R software and verified by qRT-PCR. The STRING database was used to build protein-protein interaction networks of DEGs. The Cytoscape was used to screen the Hub genes of the different group.

Results: The NN group's placental weight differed significantly from that of the other groups. The structure of NN group's placenta is different from that of the other group, too. 614 and 3207 DEGs of NM and DM, respectively, were examined in comparison to the NN group. Additionally, 394 DEGs of DM were examined in comparison to NM. qRT-PCR verified the results of RNA-seq. Nucleolar stress appears to be an important factor in macrosomia, according on the results of KEGG and GO analyses. The results revealed 74 overlapped DEGs that acted as links between hyperglycemia and macrosomia, and 10 of these, known as Hub genes, were key players in this process. Additionally, this analysis believes that due of their close connections, non-overlapping Hubs shouldn't be discounted.

Conclusion: In diabetic mother, ten Hub genes (RPL36, RPS29, RPL8 and so on) are key factors in the increased macrosomia in hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia and macrosomia are linked by 74 overlapping DEGs. Additionally, this approach contends that non-overlapping Hubs shouldn't be ignored because of their tight relationships.

Keywords: differentially expressed genes; hub genes; hyperglycemia; macrosomia; placenta.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Diabetes, Gestational* / genetics
  • Diabetes, Gestational* / metabolism
  • Female
  • Fetal Macrosomia* / genetics
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Humans
  • Hyperglycemia / genetics
  • Hyperglycemia / metabolism
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Placenta / metabolism
  • Placenta / pathology
  • Pregnancy
  • Protein Interaction Maps
  • RNA-Seq*

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was supported by grants from the Key R & D projects of Shandong Province (Grant No.2019GSF108267), Dezhou University Science Foundation (2019xgrc23) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31871391).