Can treatments during pregnancy affect the chances of developing heart disease later in life?

Programming of cardiovascular dysfunction by prenatal hypoxia, glucocorticoids and oxidative stress (renewal)

It is becoming increasingly clear that the environment we are exposed to whilst in our mother’s womb also affects our chances of developing heart problems later in life. An inadequate supply of oxygen (hypoxia) in the womb, problems with the umbilical cord or heavy smoking by the mother can strain the developing heart and blood vessels, and in many cases the baby is delivered prematurely. This often means the new born child needs steroids at birth to help their lungs mature quickly and prevent respiratory problems. However, both hypoxia and exposure to steroids increases the risk of the baby developing heart and circulatory problems later in life and the combined effects may be worse. Professor Dino Giussani at the University of Cambridge believes it may be possible to halt the development of heart disease early on by reversing the effects of hypoxia in the womb. Before possible treatments can be proposed, researchers need to identify the underlying causes of the changes that lead to later heart and circulatory problems. To do this, Professor Giussani’s team is studying the effects of reduced oxygen exposure (hypoxia) and steroid administration in adult and fetal sheep, during pregnancy and later in the adult offspring. In this programme of work, the team will combine studies in sheep with analysis of organs in the lab, and cell and molecular studies, to understand more about the changes to the heart and circulation that take place when the animals experience hypoxia and steroid treatment during pregnancy. They will also treat some animals with antioxidants to see whether this treatment can prevent heart problems later in life.