Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36613847›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2022

SLC38A4 Amino Acid Transporter Expression Is Significantly Lower in Early Preterm Intrauterine Growth Restriction Complicated Placentas.

Elif Kadife, Alesia Harper, Natasha De Alwis, Keegan Chien, Natalie Hannan, Fiona C Brownfoot

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trophoblast adaptation to hypoxia: balance and dysfunction.Cell communication and signaling : CCS · 2025
    Review
  3. [Prenatal fear stress impairs cognitive development in offspring rats by disrupting placental amino acid transport].Nan fang yi ke da xue xue bao = Journal of Southern Medical University · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Pathogenesis of Pregnancy-Related Complications.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Elif KadifeObstetric Diagnostics and Therapeutics Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, 163 Studley Road, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia.
Alesia HarperObstetric Diagnostics and Therapeutics Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, 163 Studley Road, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia.
Natasha De AlwisMercy Perinatal, 163 Studley Road, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-8376-0096
Keegan ChienObstetric Diagnostics and Therapeutics Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, 163 Studley Road, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia.
Natalie HannanMercy Perinatal, 163 Studley Road, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia.
Fiona C BrownfootObstetric Diagnostics and Therapeutics Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, 163 Studley Road, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia.
The University of Melbourne · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), predominantly caused by placental insufficiency, affects partitioning of nutrients to the fetus. The system A sodium-coupled transporters (SNAT or SLC38), of types A1, A2, and A4, control non-essential amino acid uptake and supply. Here, we aimed to investigate the expression of these transporters across different placental disease cohorts and cells. To determine disease impact, transporter expressions at the gene (qPCR) and protein (western blots) level were assessed in gestationally matched placental tissues. Early (<34 weeks), and late (34−36 weeks) onset IUGR cases with/out preeclampsia were compared to preterm controls. We also investigated level of transporter expression in primary trophoblasts under glucose deprivation (n = 6) and hypoxia conditions (n = 7). SLC38A4 protein was significantly downregulated in early preterm pregnancies complicated with IUGR with/out preeclampsia. There were no differences in late preterm IUGR cohorts. Furthermore, we demonstrate for the first time in primary trophoblast cells, that gene expression of the transporters was sensitive to and induced by glucose starvation. SLC38A4 mRNA expression was also significantly upregulated in response to hypoxia. Thus, SLC38A4 expression was persistently low in early preterm IUGR pregnancies, regardless of disease aetiology. This suggests that gestational age at delivery, and consequently IUGR severity, may influence loss of its expression.

Indexed as

PlacentaPre-EclampsiaAmino Acid Transport System AAmino Acid Transport SystemsFemaleFetal Growth RetardationHumansHypoxiaInfant, NewbornPregnancyTrophoblastsAmino Acid Transport System AAmino Acid Transport SystemsSLC38A4 protein, humanamino acid transportersfetal growth restrictionhumanplacentaSLC38A1SLC38A2SLC38A4

Identifiers

PMID36613847
PMCPMC9820794
OpenAlexW4313414151

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.