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Maturation of the heart.
1Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
Clinics in Perinatology
|September 1, 1988
Summary
Heart function improves from fetus to adult due to increased contractile proteins and altered ion pump activity. Molecular changes, especially in myosin, drive this perinatal maturation, though not fully explaining it in larger species.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Molecular Cardiology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Myocardial contractile function progressively increases from fetal to adult stages.
- The perinatal period involves significant maturation of heart muscle function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review biochemical and molecular mechanisms regulating perinatal heart function maturation.
- To highlight new findings on the regulation of cardiac contraction during development.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on myocardial development.
- Analysis of biochemical and molecular processes in cardiac cells.
- Comparison of fetal, newborn, and adult cardiac function.
Main Results:
- Cardiac development increases sarcoplasmic reticulum and myofibril quantity.
- Ion pump protein function is lower in fetuses/newborns than adults.
- Myosin isoform shifts significantly contribute to enhanced contractility in some species (e.g., rats).
Conclusions:
- Perinatal heart maturation involves increased cellular organelles and altered ion handling.
- Molecular regulation, particularly myosin isoform changes, is key for myofibrillar function.
- Current molecular understanding may not fully explain maturation in all species, especially larger ones.