Treating low oxygen in the womb to prevent heart disease in later life

Antioxidant Strategies to Prevent Programmed Cardiovascular Dysfunction by Isolated Developmental Hypoxia

The supply of nutrients and oxygen to the womb is important for the health of the developing baby, but can also determine the risk of getting heart disease later in life. The mechanisms through which this occurs, however, remain unclear. This project will use the chick embryo to study how a low oxygen supply during development can lead to heart problems later in a life – a phenomenon called developmental programming. The researchers believe that low oxygen levels cause the production of damaging molecules called reactive oxygen species, which could programme the developing heart to be prone to disease in later life. They will compare the effects of two antioxidant strategies (which combat reactive oxygen species) on chick embryos developing in conditions of low oxygen. If successful, this could lead to the development of drugs that could be used to treat mother and baby in high risk pregnancies.