Role of the placenta in fetal programming: underlying mechanisms and potential interventional approaches

2007 ◽  
Vol 113 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Jansson ◽  
Theresa L. Powell
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Fetal Growth ◽  
Fetal Programming ◽  
Nutrient Transport ◽  
Fetal Life ◽  
Maternal Environment ◽  
Methyl Donors ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Adverse influences during fetal life alter the structure and function of distinct cells, organ systems or homoeostatic pathways, thereby ‘programming’ the individual for an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes in adult life. Fetal programming can be caused by a number of different perturbations in the maternal compartment, such as altered maternal nutrition and reduced utero–placental blood flow; however, the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully established. Perturbations in the maternal environment must be transmitted across the placenta in order to affect the fetus. Here, we review recent insights into how the placenta responds to changes in the maternal environment and discuss possible mechanisms by which the placenta mediates fetal programming. In IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction) pregnancies, the increased placental vascular resistance subjects the fetal heart to increased work load, representing a possible direct link between altered placental structure and fetal programming of cardiovascular disease. A decreased activity of placental 11β-HSD-2 (type 2 isoform of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase) activity can increase fetal exposure to maternal cortisol, which programmes the fetus for later hypertension and metabolic disease. The placenta appears to function as a nutrient sensor regulating nutrient transport according to the ability of the maternal supply line to deliver nutrients. By directly regulating fetal nutrient supply and fetal growth, the placenta plays a central role in fetal programming. Furthermore, perturbations in the maternal compartment may affect the methylation status of placental genes and increase placental oxidative/nitrative stress, resulting in changes in placental function. Intervention strategies targeting the placenta in order to prevent or alleviate altered fetal growth and/or fetal programming include altering placental growth and nutrient transport by maternally administered IGFs (insulin-like growth factors) and altering maternal levels of methyl donors.

scholarly journals Regulation of Nutrient Transport across the Placenta

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Lager ◽  
Theresa L. Powell
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Fetal Growth ◽  
Nutrient Transport ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Regulatory Mechanisms ◽  
Nutrient Transporters ◽  
Perinatal Complications ◽  
Placental Transport ◽  
Increased Risk

Abnormal fetal growth, both growth restriction and overgrowth, is associated with perinatal complications and an increased risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease later in life. Fetal growth is dependent on nutrient availability, which in turn is related to the capacity of the placenta to transport these nutrients. The activity of a range of nutrient transporters has been reported to be decreased in placentas of growth restricted fetuses, whereas at least some studies indicate that placental nutrient transport is upregulated in fetal overgrowth. These findings suggest that changes in placental nutrient transport may directly contribute to the development of abnormal fetal growth. Detailed information on the mechanisms by which placental nutrient transporters are regulated will therefore help us to better understand how important pregnancy complications develop and may provide a foundation for designing novel intervention strategies. In this paper we will focus on recent studies of regulatory mechanisms that modulate placental transport of amino acids, fatty acids, and glucose.

scholarly journals Intrauterine Growth Restriction and the Fetal Programming of the Hedonic Response to Sweet Taste in Newborn Infants

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Ayres ◽  
Marilyn Agranonik ◽  
André Krumel Portella ◽  
Françoise Filion ◽  
Celeste C. Johnston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Infants ◽  
Fetal Programming ◽  
Intrauterine Growth Restriction ◽  
Sucrose Solution ◽  
Sweet Taste ◽  
Growth Restriction ◽  
Fetal Life ◽  
Intrauterine Growth ◽  
Sweet Solution ◽  
Increased Risk

Intrauterine growth restriction is associated with increased risk for adult metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, which seems to be related to altered food preferences in these individuals later in life. In this study, we sought to understand whether intrauterine growth leads to fetal programming of the hedonic responses to sweet. Sixteen 1-day-old preterm infants received 24% sucrose solution or water and the taste reactivity was filmed and analyzed. Spearman correlation demonstrated a positive correlation between fetal growth and the hedonic response to the sweet solution in the first 15 seconds after the offer (r=0.864,P=0.001), without correlation when the solution given is water (r=0.314,P=0.455). In fact, the more intense the intrauterine growth restriction, the lower the frequency of the hedonic response observed. IUGR is strongly correlated with the hedonic response to a sweet solution in the first day of life in preterm infants. This is the first evidence in humans to demonstrate that the hedonic response to sweet taste is programmed very early during the fetal life by the degree of intrauterine growth. The altered hedonic response at birth and subsequent differential food preference may contribute to the increased risk of obesity and related disorders in adulthood in intrauterine growth-restricted individuals.

scholarly journals The Role of Endothelial Dysfunction in the Pathogenesis of Vascular Complications of Diabetes Mellitus - A High Priority Area of Investigation

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodica Teodora Străchinariu
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Insulin Resistance ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Endothelial Dysfunction ◽  
Vascular Complications ◽  
Noninvasive Methods ◽  
Cardiovascular Damage ◽  
Vasoactive Substances ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract Endothelium, the inner layer of the vasculature, represents the interface between blood and organ systems and it is active in the process of contraction and relaxation of vascular smooth muscle and in functions like secretion of vasoactive substances. Endothelial dysfunction is an important cause of cardiovascular disease. The function of the endothelium can be assessed by invasive and noninvasive methods. Endothelial cells produce vasoactive substances like endothelium derived relaxing factor, prostacyclin, nitric oxide, and endothelium derived hyperpolarizing factor. Diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Hyperglycemia leads to cardiovascular damage through different pathways, including the polyol and hexosamine pathways, generation of advanced glycation end products, and activation of protein kinase C. Together with hyperglycemia induced mitochondrial dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum stress, all these can promote the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. The oxidative stress induced by hyperglycemia promotes endothelial dysfunction with an important role in micro and macro vascular disease. Insulin-resistance could be independently predictive of cardiovascular disease. Life style modification and pharmacotherapy could possibly ameliorate the effect of insulin resistance

scholarly journals Three interpretations of the association between birth weight and cardiovascular disease

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Magnus
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Font Size ◽  
Spurious Association ◽  
Fetal Organ ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
Increased Risk

<span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><p align="left">Most epidemiological studies of cardiovascular disease have had a focus on smoking, blood pressure, diet, physical activity and obesity in adulthood as determinants of cardiovascular disease. A few studies from the 1970s and onwards attempted to shed light on the early origins of this disease, and it is now established through cohort studies that there is a fairly strong and consistent relationship between low birth weight and increased risk of later cardiovascular disease. However, the interpretation of this relationship is under discussion. Three alternative interpretations of the association are discussed. The first interpretation, the environmental causal model, claims that the external influences on the growth of fetal organ systems have detrimental biological consequences that predispose the child for cardiovascular disease as an adult. This is the fetal programming hypothesis, which presently more often is called the theory of developmental plasticity, integrating environmental events before and after birth. The second interpretation, the genetic confounding model, says that the association between low birth weight and later cardiovascular disease is not causal. The association is due to confounding by pleiotropic genes, i.e. genes that influence more than one phenotype. The third interpretation, the environmental confounding model, says that lifestyles and general socioeconomic conditions that correlate across generations cause both low birth weight and predisposes for cardiovascular disease, and thereby leads to a spurious association. The conclusion is that, with the studies reported up to now, one cannot dismiss any of these interpretations. By utilizing the large pregnancy cohorts set up in Norway and other countries, these models can be put to critical tests.</p></span></span>

Mechanisms underlying heart failure in type 2 diabetes mellitus

2019 ◽  
pp. 37-39
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Heart Failure ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Vascular Complications ◽  
Molecular Alterations ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Cardioprotective Effects ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Cardio Vascular

The prevalence of heart failure is markedly increased in individuals with diabetes mellitus. Numerous observational studies suggest that this increased risk for heart failure can be attributed to exacerbated vascular complications and the presence of increased risk factors in diabetic subjects. In addition, experimental studies revealed the presence of a number of distinct molecular alterations in the myocardium that occur independently of vascular disease and hypertension. Many of these molecular alterations are similarly observed in failing hearts of nondiabetic patients and have thus been proposed to contribute to the increased risk for heart failure in diabetes. The interest in understanding the underlying mechanisms of impaired cardio- vascular outcomes in diabetic individuals has much increased since the demonstration of cardioprotective effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists in recent clinical trials. The current review therefore summarizes the distinct mechanisms that have been proposed to increase the risk for heart failure in diabetes mellitus.

Circulating Stem/Progenitor Cells as Prognostic Biomarkers in Macro- and Microvascular Disease: A Narrative Review of Prospective Observational Studies

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (35) ◽  
pp. 4507-4517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Rigato ◽  
Gian Paolo Fadini
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Cardiovascular Events ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
English Language ◽  
Microvascular Disease ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Diabetic Patients ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Cell Phenotypes

Background: Circulating progenitor cells (CPCs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are immature cells involved in vascular repair and related to many aspects of macro and microvascular disease. <p> Objective: We aimed to review studies reporting the prognostic role of CPCs/EPCs measurement on development of cardiovascular disease and microangiopathy. <p> Methods and Results: We reviewed the English language literature for prospective observational studies reporting the future development of cardiovascular disease or microangiopathy in patients having a baseline determination of CPCs/EPCs. We retrieved 34 studied reporting on cardiovascular outcomes and 2 studies reporting on microvascular outcomes. Overall, a reduced baseline level of CPCs/EPCs was associated with a significant increased risk of cardiovascular events, all-cause death, and onset/progression of microangiopathy. The most predictive phenotypes were CD34+ and CD34+CD133+. The main limitation was related to the high heterogeneity among studies in terms of patient characteristics and cell phenotypes. <p> Conclusion: The present review shows that a reduced level of circulating progenitor cells is a risk factor for the development of future cardiovascular events and death. In addition, low CPCs/EPCs levels predict the onset or worsening of microalbuminuria and retinopathy in diabetic patients.

Subclinical Thyroid Dysfunction and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (43) ◽  
pp. 5617-5627
Author(s):  
Mirjana Stojković ◽  
Miloš Žarković
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Cardiac Electrophysiology ◽  
Vascular System ◽  
Density Lipoprotein ◽  
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Normal Limits ◽  
Developing Heart ◽  
Treatment Indications ◽  
Increased Risk

The prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) is 3-10%. The prevalence of subclinical hyperthyroidism (SHr) is 0.7-9.7%. Thyroid hormones affect cardiac electrophysiology, contractility, and vasculature. SH is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), especially in subjects under 65. SHr seems to be associated with a slightly increased risk of CHD and an increase in CHD-related mortality. Both SH and SHr carry an increased risk of developing heart failure (HF), especially in those under 65. Both SH and SHr are associated with worse prognoses in patients with existing HF. SH is probably not associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). SHr, low normal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and high normal free thyroxine (FT4) are all associated with the increased risk of AF. An association between endothelial dysfunction and SH seems to exist. Data regarding the influence of SHr on the peripheral vascular system are conflicting. SH is a risk factor for stroke in subjects under 65. SHr does not increase the risk of stroke. Both SH and SHr have an unfavourable effect on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality. There is a U-shaped curve of mortality in relation to TSH concentrations. A major factor that modifies the relation between subclinical thyroid disease (SCTD) and mortality is age. SH increases blood pressure (BP). SHr has no significant effect on BP. Lipids are increased in patients with SH. In SHr, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and lipoprotein( a) are increased. SCTD should be treated when TSH is over 10 mU/l or under 0.1 mU/l. Treatment indications are less clear when TSH is between normal limits and 0.1 or 10 mU/L. The current state of knowledge supports the understanding of SCTD’s role as a risk factor for CVD development. Age is a significant confounding factor, probably due to age-associated changes in the TSH reference levels.

Could Antioxidant Supplementation Delay Progression of Cardiovascular Disease in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients?

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanos Roumeliotis ◽  
Athanasios Roumeliotis ◽  
Xenia Gorny ◽  
Peter R. Mertens
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Renal Disease ◽  
End Stage Renal Disease ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Endstage Renal Disease ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Stage Renal Disease ◽  
End Stage

In end-stage renal disease patients, the leading causes of mortality are of cardiovascular (CV) origin. The underlying mechanisms are complex, given that sudden heart failure is more common than acute myocardial infarction. A contributing role of oxidative stress is postulated, which is increased even at early stages of chronic kidney disease, is gradually augmented in parallel to progression to endstage renal disease and is further accelerated by renal replacement therapy. Oxidative stress ensues when there is an imbalance between reactive pro-oxidants and physiologically occurring electron donating antioxidant defence systems. During the last decade, a close association of oxidative stress with accelerated atherosclerosis and increased risk for CV and all-cause mortality has been established. Lipid peroxidation has been identified as a trigger for endothelial dysfunction, the first step towards atherogenesis. In order to counteract the deleterious effects of free radicals and thereby ameliorate, or delay, CV disease, exogenous administration of antioxidants has been proposed. Here, we attempt to summarize existing data from studies that test antioxidants for CV protection, such as vitamins E and C, statins, omega-3 fatty acids and N-acetylcysteine.

Effects of Intensive Blood Pressure Control in Patients with Evident Cardiovascular Disease: An Investigation Using the SPRINT Study Data

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charalambos Vlachopoulos ◽  
Dimitrios Terentes-Printzios ◽  
Konstantinos Aznaouridis ◽  
Nikolaos Ioakeimidis ◽  
Panagiotis Xaplanteris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Beneficial Effect ◽  
Harmful Effect ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Intensive Treatment ◽  
Serious Adverse Events ◽  
Stroke Incidence ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
All Cause Mortality

Background: Recent data advocate adoption of a more intensive treatment strategy for management of blood pressure (BP). </P><P> Objective: We investigated whether the overall effects of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) are applicable to cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients. </P><P> Methods: In a post hoc analysis we analyzed data from SPRINT that randomly assigned 9361 individuals to a systolic BP (SBP) target of <120 mmHg (intensive treatment) or <140 mmHg (standard treatment). 1562 patients had clinically evident CVD (age=70.3±9.3 years, 24% females) at study entry and were followed for 3.1 years. Further, we assessed the effect of low (<150 mmHg) baseline SBP on outcome. </P><P> Results: In CVD patients, there was no benefit from the intensive treatment regarding all endpoints, except for a marginally significant benefit on all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45 to 1.00; p=0.0509). Further, while there was no increase in serious adverse events (SAE) in the intensive group, there was increased risk for study-related SAE, acute renal failure and electrolyte abnormalities. In patients with low baseline SBP there was a beneficial effect on allcause mortality (HR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.33 to 0.96; p=0.033), but with greater stroke incidence (HR: 2.94; 95% CI: 1.04 to 8.29; p=0.042). </P><P> Conclusion: We confirm the beneficial effect of the intensive strategy in SPRINT study on all-cause mortality and the harmful effect on specific adverse outcomes in patients with CVD. However, in patients with low baseline SBP stroke may increase.

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