ABSTRACT
Maternal obesity is increasing worldwide, representing a significant risk factor for pregnancy disorders, obstetric complications and short/long term consequences for both the mother and the offspring. Placental impaired development and function have been reported in pregnancies of obese mothers. However, molecular mechanisms underlying these alterations have been only partially identified.
The study of placental metabolome represents an important tool to unravel etiopathogenetic mechanisms leading to impaired fetal programming in maternal obesity. To date, only a few studies evaluated it. Changes in placental fatty acids profile have been reported in pregnancies of obese women, advocating the hypothesis of a disruption of the physiologic LC-PUFA placental biomagnification. Alterations in a broad range of hydrophilic metabolites have also been shown, suggesting a generalized shift toward higher placental metabolism in obese pregnancies. Other studies reported metabolome changes in placentas from pregnancy pathologies, such as preeclampsia, also including obese women.
Metabolomics can give important clues on the general metabolic profile originating from the complex placental scenario of obese pregnancies. Several issues still need to be addressed, such as the extent to which fetal sex can affect the metabolic response to the maternal obese adverse environment.
