About this Research Topic
Obesity, an abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health, is an increasing disease worldwide. It is one of the major risks factors for the development of type 2 diabetes, inflammation and cardiovascular diseases. Specially, obesity is more prevalent in women than men, increasing this pathology during pregnancy, that could lead to several gestational adverse outcomes in the fetus, e.g., macrosomia, shoulder dystocia, stillbirth, neonatal hypoglycemia, and respiratory distress. Maternal obesity could promote oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, thus impairing placental development and function. Also, drug abuse during pregnancy can produce placental alterations, such as impairments in nutrient transport, endocrine function and morphology; e.g. adipokine and metabolic hormone influence in nutrient transport across the placenta; and it can have long-lasting implications for fetal development, e.g. brain structure and function. However, the relationship between obesity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and placental dysfunction is still unknown.
Recently, the placenta, a key organ during pregnancy, has emerged as a major target of study due to gestational alterations than can produce adverse gestational outcomes in the fetus. Both pregnancy and obesity are conditions where an inflammatory environment occur, producing ROS and several physiological alterations. However, an excess of ROS production can develop several adverse consequences, promoting in this sense placental alterations in its structure and function. For this reason, it is important to know how this oxidative stress environment is affecting placental and, hence, fetal development, in order to address the growing need to reverse a condition that has become a pathology in humanity, such as obesity. This cycle can become even more vicious if drug use comes into play.
Topics of interest are, but not limited to:
• Understanding obesity and its complications on mother and child.
• Placental alterations in obesity pregnancies.
• Oxidative stress environment and its impact in placental/fetal development.
• Diagnostic and predictive biomarkers for obesity and placental alterations.
Recently, the placenta, a key organ during pregnancy, has emerged as a major target of study due to gestational alterations than can produce adverse gestational outcomes in the fetus. Both pregnancy and obesity are conditions where an inflammatory environment occur, producing ROS and several physiological alterations. However, an excess of ROS production can develop several adverse consequences, promoting in this sense placental alterations in its structure and function. For this reason, it is important to know how this oxidative stress environment is affecting placental and, hence, fetal development, in order to address the growing need to reverse a condition that has become a pathology in humanity, such as obesity. This cycle can become even more vicious if drug use comes into play.
Topics of interest are, but not limited to:
• Understanding obesity and its complications on mother and child.
• Placental alterations in obesity pregnancies.
• Oxidative stress environment and its impact in placental/fetal development.
• Diagnostic and predictive biomarkers for obesity and placental alterations.
Keywords: Obesity, reactive oxygen species (ROS), placenta
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