Blastocyst exposure to plastic during mice in vitro fertilization impacts placental development.

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancies from Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) are associated with a significant prevalence of maternal, neonatal and long-term adverse health issues. These anomalies are generally attributed to the in vitro manipulations involved in these procedures. Concerns have been raised on the quality of the culture media, however the potential influence of the chemical composition of the devices used in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) has been poorly analysed. By comparing the transcriptomes of placentas from mouse blastocysts obtained by IVF on plasticware, glassware and naturally conceived, we have previously established that plasticware profoundly impacts placental development.

METHODS: Transcriptomics, transcriptome deconvolution analysis, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis.

RESULTS: Plasticware alters placental gene expression mostly in the trophoblast compartment, and alters cell composition favouring Glycogen Cells. These modifications correlate with alterations of epigenetic mechanisms (alterations of imprinted genes, microRNAs expression, methylation alterations). Also, sex-stratified analysis reveals that these effects are more drastic in female than male placentas. The effect of glassware on the transcriptome and cellular composition of the placenta is milder, and in particular has lower impact on the imprinted gene or microRNAs expression.

CONCLUSION: In vitro culture in plasticware during IVF procedures sex-specifically alters gene expression and/or cell composition in the placenta, possibly through factors released by the plasticware having an action on epigenetic actors (imprinted genes, miRNAs and DNA methylation).