ArticleInternational journal of obesity (2005)2026
Placental expression of the serotonin transporter (SERT) gene: associations with maternal overweight/obesity and neonatal anthropometry.
Article in International journal of obesity (2005), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Placental monoamine oxidase A activity in pregnancies complicated by maternal overweight/obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Article
- Maternal serum serotonin, serotonin transporter, and umbilical cord arterial serotonin levels in obese versus non-obese pregnancies.Northern clinics of Istanbul · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
objectivesWe investigated the relationship between maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and expression of key serotonin-regulating genes (namely, metabolic enzymes, transmembrane transporters and receptors) in term placentas, including a possible moderating effect of glucose tolerance status (normal glucose tolerance (NGT) vs. gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)). Associations between placental expression of serotonin-regulating genes and neonatal anthropometry were also explored.
methodsThe study included 105 women with overweight/obesity (OWO) and 111 women with normal-weight (NW), all giving birth at term by planned cesarean section. Placental tissue was collected from the fetal side using a standardized protocol. Expression of serotonin-regulating genes was quantified by RT-qPCR and/or ELISA.
resultsPre-pregnancy OWO, GDM or their interaction were not associated with mRNA levels of tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1), monoamine-oxidase A (MAOA), organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3), and serotonin receptor 2A (HTR2A) in term placentas. However, mRNA levels of plasma membrane monoamine transporter (PMAT) were significantly upregulated in association with pre-pregnancy OWO, regardless of GDM status (p = 0.014). Furthermore, in women with NGT, but not in women with GDM, pre-pregnancy OWO was associated with decreased placental serotonin transporter (SERT) mRNA levels (p = 0.001), while placental SERT protein levels were increased in women with pre-pregnancy OWO and further elevated in women with concurrent GDM (p = 0.005). In addition, higher placental SERT mRNA levels negatively predicted birth weight and newborn length and, in women with NGT, partially mediated the association between pre-pregnancy BMI and birth weight.
conclusionThe results show associations between maternal pre-pregnancy OWO and altered expression of high- and low-affinity serotonin transport genes (SERT and PMAT, respectively). Among the genes analyzed, SERT may play a role in linking maternal OWO to fetal growth. The results underscore the importance of further functional studies into the placental serotonin system in the context of maternal OWO.
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