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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Role Of Decorin At The Fetal-Maternal Interface, Chidambra D. Halari Aug 2022

Role Of Decorin At The Fetal-Maternal Interface, Chidambra D. Halari

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The human placenta is an invasive tumor-like structure, this invasion being physiological. A subset of placental trophoblast called extra-villous trophoblast invades the uterine decidua and remodels uterine arteries into low-resistance, high-flow tubes to permit adequate flow of maternal blood to nourish the fetus. A poor extra-villous trophoblast invasion and uterine arterial remodeling can lead to fetal growth restriction and a serious pregnancy-associated maternal disease preeclampsia. Decorin, a leucine-rich proteoglycan produced by uterine decidual cells restrains multiple trophoblast functions: self-renewal and differentiation of trophoblast stem cells, migration, invasion, proliferation and endovascular differentiation. Additionally, decidual overproduction of decorin was associated with preeclampsia, …


The Molecular Mechanisms Of Hepatic Mitochondrial Dysfunction In Growth-Restricted Offspring With Hyperlipidemia, Shelby L. Oke Jun 2022

The Molecular Mechanisms Of Hepatic Mitochondrial Dysfunction In Growth-Restricted Offspring With Hyperlipidemia, Shelby L. Oke

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a pathological condition characterized by low birth weight and poor organ development. Growth of the fetal liver is often compromised at the expense of other vital organs, thereby leading to hepatic dyslipidemia in the affected offspring. As such, epidemiological studies suggest an inverse relationship between birth weight and long-term metabolic health, while the occurrence of postnatal catch-up growth can exacerbate this relationship. Animal studies have shown that IUGR offspring exhibit impaired mitochondrial function, which likely contributes to the later development of metabolic pathologies. That said, the molecular mechanisms by which mitochondria are affected remain unknown. …