Global DNA methylation and miR-126-3p expression in Mexican women with gestational diabetes mellitus: a pilot study
Dennise Lizárraga, Teresa García Gasca, Gertrud Lund, Anaguiven Ávalos Soriano and Alejandra García Gasca
Te invitamos a leer el artículo "Global DNA methylation and miR-126-3p expression in Mexican women with gestational diabetes mellitus: a pilot study" publicado Molecular Biology Report, en el que colaboró la Dra. Gertrud Lund de la Unidad Irapuato.
Autores:
Dennise Lizárraga, Teresa García Gasca, Gertrud Lund, Anaguiven Ávalos Soriano and Alejandra García Gasca
Resumen:
Background
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a type of diabetes that occurs for the first time during pregnancy, may predispose the development of chronic degenerative diseases and metabolic alterations in mother and offspring. DNA methylation and microRNA (miRNA) expression are regulatory mechanisms of gene expression that may contribute to the pathogenesis of GDM. Therefore, we determined global DNA methylation and miR-126-3p expression levels in 8 and 7 Mexican women with and without GDM, respectively.
Methods and results
Global DNA methylation was assessed by measuring the percentage of 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) in placenta, umbilical cord, and plasma DNA samples, whereas miR-126-3p expression was quantified by real-time PCR using the 2−ΔCt method of the corresponding RNA samples. A significant increase in the percentage of 5-mC was detected in placenta samples from GDM patients compared to healthy women, while plasma samples showed a significant decrease. Conversely, miR-126-3p expression levels were significantly higher in plasma from the GDM group, while placenta and umbilical cord samples showed no significant differences across experimental groups. Furthermore, DNA methylation correlated significantly with glucose levels in placenta and plasma. Likewise, miR-126-3p expression correlated significantly with plasma glucose, in addition to maternal body mass index (BMI at first trimester).
Conclusion
The results indicate that GDM is associated with alterations in global DNA methylation levels and miR-126-3p expression in placenta and/or plasma, providing insights into future novel approaches to diagnose and/or prevent this pathology.