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Updated: Jan 7, 2026

A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
Published on: June 24, 2020
Maternal opioid use is associated with altered placental bacterial DNA and activation of immune-apoptotic pathways
Yaa F Abu1, Junyi Tao1, Arumugam Jayakumar2
1Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
Objectives:
Opioid use during pregnancy is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, but its effects on placental biology are not well understood. Because the placenta plays a vital role in fetal development and immune regulation, we examined how maternal opioid exposure influences microbial DNA signatures and immune gene expression in the placenta.
Methods:
Placentas from opioid-exposed and control C57 BL/6 female mice were analyzed through 16S rRNA gene sequencing, bulk RNA sequencing and pathway enrichment analysis.
Results:
Opioid-exposed placentas showed altered microbial DNA profiles, including increased α-diversity and enrichment of Staphylococcus spp. Transcriptomic analysis revealed 357 differentially expressed genes, emphasizing immune pathways, including dendritic cell-NK cell crosstalk, immunogenic cell death, and cytokine storm signaling. STAT3 signaling and heparan sulfate biosynthesis were downregulated. Pathways related to apoptosis, cytotoxicity, and neonatal death were upregulated.
Conclusions:
Maternal opioid exposure may disrupt placental microbial and immune environments, potentially leading to structural compromise through immune-mediated cellular apoptosis.
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