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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

The Use of Gas Chromatography to Analyze Compositional Changes of Fatty Acids in Rat Liver Tissue during Pregnancy
Published on: March 13, 2014
Nuclear receptor-driven alterations in bile acid and lipid metabolic pathways during gestation
Georgia Papacleovoulou1, Shadi Abu-Hayyeh, Catherine Williamson
1Imperial College London, Maternal and Fetal Disease Group, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.
Abstract:
Nuclear receptor signalling is essential for physiological processes such as metabolism, development, and reproduction. Alterations in the endocrine state that naturally occur during pregnancy result in maternal adaptations to support the feto-placental unit. A series of studies have shown that nuclear receptor signalling is involved in maternal adaptations of bile acid, cholesterol, and lipid homeostasis pathways to ensure maintenance of the nutritional demands of the fetus. We discuss regulation of hepatic nuclear receptors and their target genes in pregnancy and their impact on the development of disorders such as intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy and oestrogen-induced hepatotoxicity. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Translating nuclear receptors from health to disease.
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