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Developmental programming: maternal hypercholesterolemia and immunity influence susceptibility to atherosclerosis.
Wulf Palinski1, Tomoya Yamashita, Stefan Freigang
1Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0682, USA. wpalinski@ucsd.edu
Nutrition Reviews
|February 5, 2008
Summary
Maternal health during pregnancy significantly impacts offspring
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Immunology
- Cardiovascular science
Background:
- The in utero environment influences adult disease risk.
- Maternal dysmetabolic conditions are linked to offspring cardiovascular disease.
- Focus is shifting from birth weight to maternal risk factors like obesity and diabetes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of maternal hypercholesterolemia and immune mechanisms in developmental programming of atherosclerosis.
- To explore the potential for maternal immunomodulation to reduce offspring cardiovascular risk.
Main Methods:
- Review of epidemiological evidence linking maternal conditions to adult disease.
- Examination of the impact of maternal hypercholesterolemia on fetal artery development.
- Analysis of experimental animal studies involving immunization against oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Main Results:
- Maternal hypercholesterolemia during pregnancy accelerates atherosclerosis in offspring.
- Immunization against oxidized LDL cholesterol inhibits atherosclerosis progression in offspring of hypercholesterolemic mothers.
- Maternal immune mechanisms can influence developmental programming of atherosclerosis.
Conclusions:
- Targeted maternal immunomodulation can program postnatal immune responses.
- Maternal interventions may reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and other immune-mediated diseases in offspring.
- The maternal environment is a critical factor in preventing adult-onset cardiovascular disease.
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