Midgestation origins of androgenic and estrogenic pathophysiology in three major women ’s health disorders

David Barker first associated low birth weight with subsequent cardiovascular disease more than 30 years ago, framing mechanistic understanding of suboptimal gestational environments as major contributors to developmental origins of adult disease. Rapid-onset maternal immunologic tolerance of the semiallogeneic fetus is essential for optimal endothelial cell reprogramming within uterine spiral arteries, enabling optimal placental function. Not surprisingly, therefore, suboptimal gestational environments arise when preexisting maternal immunologic (inflammatory), metabolic, and endocrine disorders impair placental development and function.

Source: Fertility and Sterility - September 8, 2020 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: David H. Abbott, Daniel A. Dumesic Tags: Reflections Source Type: research