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Cited by 177Birth, Development, and HealthPregnancy and preeclampsia studiesGenetic Syndromes and Imprinting

Review: The placenta and developmental programming: Balancing fetal nutrient demands with maternal resource allocation

Burton, G.J., Fowden, A.L.·2012·Placenta
DOI 10.1016/j.placenta.2011.11.013
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Abstract

The placenta evolved to support development of the fetus, and so potentially plays a key role in the aetiology of developmental programming through its impact on nutrient transfer. Placental transport efficiency depends on a variety of parameters, including surface area for exchange, thickness of the interhaemal membrane and density of transporter proteins inserted into the trophoblast membranes. Here, we review recent studies that tested whether adaptations of placental efficiency are induced in the mouse placenta when maternal nutrient supply and fetal demand are manipulated experimentally. Naturally small placentas, and those exposed to maternal undernutrition, displayed structural changes indicative of accelerated maturation at E16, with enlargement of the labyrinth exchange zone at the expense of the endocrine junctional zone. These changes were associated with increased transport of a non-metabolisable amino acid analogue per gram of placenta, and expression of genes encoding specific System A transporters. Up-regulation of transporters was also observed when a mismatch between placental size and fetal demand was generated through genetic manipulation of the Igf2/H19 axis. Conversely, overgrowth of the placenta induced by deletion of H19 resulted in reduced transport capacity and expression of transporter genes. We conclude that under conditions when the maternal nutrient supply or placental size may be limiting for normal fetal growth, the placenta adapts so as to increase its transport capacity. Hence, it ameliorates the effects of environmental cues that would otherwise lead to more extensive developmental programming. The P0 transcript of Igf2 appears to be a strong candidate as a mediator of these adaptations in the mouse.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.placenta.2011.11.013

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  • The placenta has a dynamic role in optimising resource allocation between the fetus and mother during pregnancy.

    “It has a dynamic role in optimising resource allocation between the fetus and mother during pregnancy (74).”

    From Placental Origins of Chronic Disease (2016) · cites this paper as [74]

  • The placenta acts as an environmental sensor, integrating signals of the current availability of oxygen and nutrients, maternal stores of nutrient reserves and of the fetal nutrient demands for growth driven by the genes and actual mass of the fetus.

    “Thus, the placenta acts as an environmental sensor, integrating signals of the current availability of oxygen and nutrients, maternal stores of nutrient reserves and of the fetal nutrient demands for growth driven by the genes and actual mass of the fetus (74,204).”

    From Placental Origins of Chronic Disease (2016) · cites this paper as [74]

  • The extent to which this strategy is successful in altering maternal-fetal resource allocation in favour of the mouse fetus depends on the actual nutritional and endocrine environment of the mother and on the mass, gestational age and genetic background of her litter.

    “However, the extent to which this strategy is successful in altering maternal-fetal resource allocation in favour of the mouse fetus depends on the actual nutritional and endocrine environment of the mother and on the mass, gestational age and genetic background of her litter (74,193,546).”

    From Placental Origins of Chronic Disease (2016) · cites this paper as [74]

  • The responses of the placenta to environmental cues, such as hypoxia and nutrition, indicate that there is significant interaction between maternal nutrient availability and fetal demands for these resources in determining maternal-fetal nutrient allocation at the level of the placenta.

    “The responses of the placenta to environmental cues, such as hypoxia and nutrition, indicate that there is significant interaction between maternal nutrient availability and fetal demands for these resources in determining maternal-fetal nutrient allocation at the level of the placenta (74,144).”

    From Placental Origins of Chronic Disease (2016) · cites this paper as [74]

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Authors
Burton, G. J., & Fowden, A. L.
Affiliations
University of Cambridge (GB)
Corresponding author
Burton, G.J.
ORCID
Venue
Placenta
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2012-02
Volume
33
Pages
S23-S27
ISSN
0143-4004 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.placenta.2011.11.013
OpenAlex
W1964036070
Cited by
177
References
45
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 5
FWCI
1.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • Placenta (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • MRC
  • BBSRC
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Syndromes and Imprinting
Keywords
developmental programming, placental maturation, labyrinth zone, system A amino acid transporter, H19, insulin-like growth factor II, maternal undernutrition, fetal growth
MeSH terms
Animals, Female, Humans, Male, Maternal-Fetal Exchange, Nutritional Requirements, Placenta, Placentation, Pregnancy, Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Malnutrition, Fetal Development, Mice

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