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Fetal programming and vascular dysfunction

Artery Research volume 21, pages 69–77 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of mortality and morbidity in Western countries, but the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. Genetic polymorphisms, once thought to represent a major determinant of cardiovascular risk, individually and collectively, only explain a tiny fraction of phenotypic variation and disease risk in humans. It is now clear that non-genetic factors, i.e., factors that modify gene activity without changing the DNA sequence and that are sensitive to the environment can cause important alterations of the cardiovascular phenotype in experimental animal models and humans. Here, we will review recent studies demonstrating that distinct pathological events during the perinatal (transient perinatal hypoxemia), late foetal (preeclampsia), and early embryonic (assisted reproductive technologies) periods induce profound alterations of the cardiovascular phenotype in humans and experimental animals. Moreover, we will provide evidence that epigenetic modifications are contributing importantly to this problem and are conferring the potential for its transmission to subsequent generations.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Cardiology and Clinical Research, University Hospital Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland

    T. A. Meister, E. Rexhaj, S. F. Rimoldi & U. Scherrer

  2. Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Tarapacá, 1775, Arica, Chile

    U. Scherrer

  3. Internal Medicine, University Hospital, 1011, Lausanne-CHUV, Switzerland

    C. Sartori

Authors
  1. T. A. Meister
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  2. E. Rexhaj
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  3. S. F. Rimoldi
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  4. U. Scherrer
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  5. C. Sartori
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Sartori.

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This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license. https://doi.org/creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Meister, T.A., Rexhaj, E., Rimoldi, S.F. et al. Fetal programming and vascular dysfunction. Artery Res 21, 69–77 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artres.2017.11.005

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Artery Research

ISSN: 1876-4401

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