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Measuring Mitochondrial Electron Transfer Complexes in Previously Frozen Cardiac Tissue from the Offspring of Sow: A Model to Assess Exercise-Induced Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Changes
08:04

Measuring Mitochondrial Electron Transfer Complexes in Previously Frozen Cardiac Tissue from the Offspring of Sow: A Model to Assess Exercise-Induced Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Changes

Published on: August 16, 2021

Myocardial function in offspring 5-8years after pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia

Drude Fugelseth1, Heidi Bente Ramstad, Anne Stine Kvehaugen

  • 1Department of Neonatal Intensive Care, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, Oslo, Norway. drudefugelseth@hotmail.com

Early Human Development
|May 10, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Children born after preeclampsia may experience negative heart effects by age 8. Preeclampsia is linked to smaller hearts and altered heart function in young children, suggesting long-term cardiovascular implications.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Perinatology

Background:

  • Pregnancy complications like preeclampsia and diabetes share pathophysiological features.
  • These conditions may induce epigenetic changes affecting fetal development.
  • Such changes are linked to later metabolic and cardiovascular disease risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate myocardial function in children exposed to pregnancy complications.
  • To compare cardiac outcomes in offspring of preeclamptic, diabetic, and uncomplicated pregnancies.

Main Methods:

  • Echocardiographic assessment of myocardial function in 45 children (5-8 years) born to mothers with preeclampsia, type 1 diabetes, or gestational diabetes.
  • Comparison with 15 children from uneventful pregnancies.
  • Utilized conventional Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) for ventricular function analysis.

Main Results:

  • No significant overall differences in myocardial function between complication and control groups.
  • Preeclampsia group exhibited smaller heart size, increased heart rate, and elevated mitral A'-wave velocity compared to controls and diabetic groups.
  • Findings were consistent across pulsed wave and color TDI.

Conclusions:

  • Children born after preeclampsia may show early signs of cardiac impact by 5-8 years of age.
  • Preeclampsia appears to negatively affect heart development in offspring.
  • Further research with larger cohorts is warranted due to the limited sample size.
Abstract

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