Maternal administration of APAP induces angiogenesis disorders in mouse placenta via SOCS3/JAK1/STAT3 pathway

Acetaminophen (APAP, also known as paracetamol) is a commonly used antipyretic and analgesic that is considered safe to use during pregnancy. However, a growing body of research indicates that gestational administration of APAP increased the risk of neurodevelopmental, reproductive and genitourinary disorders in offspring, alongside impairments in placental development. Notably, over-dosed APAP exhibits direct toxicity to endothelial cells, but there is very limited research investigating the impact of APAP on placental angiogenesis, a gap we aim to address in this study. Pregnant mice were gavaged with APAP (15, 50 and 150 mg/kg/d) from embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5) to E13.5. Administration of 150 mg/kg/d APAP leads to low birth weight (LBW) of the offspring and disordered vascular structures within the labyrinthine (Lab) layer of the placenta. This disruption is accompanied by a significant increase in Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 (SOCS3) level, a negative regulator of the Janus kinase signal transducer 1 and activator of the transcription 3 (JAK1/STAT3) signaling. Meanwhile, Human umbilical vein endothelial Cells (HUVECs) with the treatment of 3 mM APAP exhibited reduced cell viability, whereas 1 mM APAP significantly affected the proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenic capacities of HUVECs. Further, SOCS3 was up-regulated in HUVECs, accompanied by inhibition of JAK1/STAT3 pathways. Knocking-down SOCS3 in HUVECs restored the nuclear translocation of STAT3 and efficiently promoted cellular capacity of tube formation. Overall, short-term maternal administration of overdosed APAP impairs angiogenic capacities of fetal endothelial cells via SOCS3/JAK1/STAT3 pathway in the mouse placenta. This study reveals that overdose of APAP during pregnancy may adversely affect placental angiogenesis, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the safe principles of smallest effective dose for the shortest required durations.