Congenital defects of the heart begin from the placenta during pregnancy

In a recent study, conducted by researchers at the University of Nanjing in China, this showed a close connection between the birth defects of the heart and the problems affected by the placenta during pregnancy. The birth defects of the heart are most common in humans, and despite the progress of research, its causes have not been fully understood until now, while the study focused on a protein called SLC25A1, known as its role in the transmission of citric acid within cells, an element that affects the genetic expression. The researchers noted that the levels of this protein are low in many patients with birth defects of the heart. By using genetic modification tools to remove this protein in the mice fetus, the researchers could determine that its loss does not directly affect the heart, but this leads to problems in the growth of the placenta, which in turn causes heart defects. Congenital defects in the heart performed the research team a series of experiments to explore the tissues in which the fetus needed the SLC25A1 protein, and when the protein was removed from the heart cells of the fetus, there were no defects in the heart, but if it was only from the placent. The placenta and consequence, in the heart, began in the placenta. The study showed that the loss of SLC25A1 affects the balance of citric acid in the placenta cells, which changes the DNA composition, and leads to disorders in the development of the placenta. This protein works as a carrier, as it contributes to the compound of citric acid to different places in the cell, enabling the production of important derivatives used to change the genetic expression and evolutionary processes. In the absence of the SLC25A1 protein, the natural balance of citric acid in the placenta cells is disturbed, resulting in a decrease in the availability of basic derivatives of the citric acid, and the biological processes on which the cells depend on maintain their natural functions, including the growth of the placenta. Plastic problems during pregnancy and the molecular analyzes of the researchers have shown that the loss of balance in the citric acid directly affects the chemical composition of the DNA in the placenta cells, leading to changes in the adaptation of the DNA, such as low metabolic levels, which are an essential process for the regulation of genes, their development. The SLC25A1 loss also led to changes in choroid cell morphology; The study showed that the placenta became thinner and was less able to perform its important functions, which affected the ability to provide oxygen and the necessary nutrients. The researchers also noted a decrease in the levels of the PSG1 protein, which is known for its role in regulating the growth of the lining of the blood vessels. PSG1 protein is one of the most important proteins produced by the placenta cells during pregnancy, and plays an important role in supporting the development of the fetus by regulating the growth of ventricular cells; These cells are a lining of blood vessels and contribute to the formation of a healthy blood vessel network in the placenta, which is essential for providing oxygen and nutrients for the developing fetus. In the study, the researchers found that the loss of the SLC25A1 protein in the placenta cells resulted in a noticeable decrease in the production of the PSG1 protein, which in turn caused disorders in the process of developing ventricular cells, which impedes the formation of a healthy blood vessel. The effectiveness of the placenta and the growth of the fetus. As a result, the effectiveness of the placenta in the transmission of oxygen and nutrients decreases, which negatively affects the growth of the fetus, especially the development of the heart. In another experiment, the researchers gave the human PSG1 protein to pregnant mice, his embryos suffer from a lack of SLC25A1, and the result was an improvement in the growth of the placenta and the heart, which opens the horizon for the use of protein as a potential treatment to improve the growth of the fetus. Although these results need more studies before applying people, they emphasize the importance of the placenta as a basic factor in the development of fetuses. The researchers hope to use the results to develop therapeutic strategies to prevent the birth defects of the heart in the fetus that show problems in the placenta during pregnancy.