The Western diet, which is usually high in fats and simple sugars, is associated with adverse birth outcomes. However, the mechanism for how diet affects the human placenta is unknown. Studying this process may help scientists better understand placental metabolism, or how the placenta turns food into energy. A team of scientists funded by NICHD through the Human Placenta Project (HPP) has developed a method to noninvasively measure placental metabolism, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Placental Metabolism
The method developed by the team of scientists, led by Charles McKenzie, Ph.D., captures energy production on MRI images. For the first time, researchers can “see” metabolism as it happens. The team is currently testing their method in both animal models and human pregnancies to demonstrate its safety.
The researchers are also using their MRI method to look for potential changes in placental metabolism caused by the Western diet. In one study, the team found that exposure to common fatty acids (palmitate and oleate) found in the Western diet can change the way energy is used by placenta cells grown in the lab. These types of changes in energy usage during pregnancy may lead to metabolic disorders that affect pregnancy outcomes, leading to issues such as fetal growth restriction. Some of the group’s research even indicates that metabolic disruptions during gestation may lead to higher incidence of metabolic conditions in adulthood, including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Learn more about the team
Principal Investigator(s):
Learn more about the HPP-funded project:
Hyperpolarized 13C MRI Placental Metabolic Abnormalities Resulting from the Western Diet
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