Identification of the Inner Cell Mass and the Trophectoderm Responses after an In Vitro Exposure to Glucose and Insulin during the Preimplantation Period in the Rabbit Embryo

Abstract

The prevalence of metabolic diseases is increasing, leading to more women entering pregnancy with alterations in the glucose-insulin axis. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of a hyperglycemic and/or hyperinsulinemic environment on the development of the preimplantation embryo. In rabbit embryos developed in vitro in the presence of high insulin (HI), high glucose (HG), or both (HGI), we determined the transcriptomes of the inner cell mass (ICM) and the trophectoderm (TE). HI induced 10 differentially expressed genes (DEG) in ICM and 1 in TE. HG ICM exhibited 41 DEGs involved in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and cell number regulation. In HG ICM, proliferation was decreased (p < 0.01) and apoptosis increased (p < 0.001). HG TE displayed 132 DEG linked to mTOR signaling and regulation of cell number. In HG TE, proliferation was increased (p < 0.001) and apoptosis decreased (p < 0.001). HGI ICM presented 39 DEG involved in OXPHOS and no differences in proliferation and apoptosis. HGI TE showed 16 DEG linked to OXPHOS and cell number regulation and exhibited increased proliferation (p < 0.001). Exposure to HG and HGI during preimplantation development results in common and specific ICM and TE responses that could compromise the development of the future individual and placenta.