Influence of hypoxia as noxa in the early origin of obesity and its complications during intra-uterine life

Abstract

Hypoxia is an important factor that regulates the placental development and stimulates the invasion of trophoblast as well as differentiation, angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. At the moment of fertilization, hypoxia to which the blastocyte is exposed, regulates its growth, at the same time that it limits the number of trophoblast cells and the posterior placental development, that is essential in the transport of nutrients and oxygen to the developing fetus; however, chronic fetus-placental hypoxia leads to vascular placental dysfunction and to intra-uterine programming of vascular and metabolic diseases, since it regulates, at long term, the expression of enzymes related to the L-arginine/nitric oxide way in endothelial cells of different vascular beds, including placenta. Taking this into account the effects of hypoxia as noxa during intra-uterine life and its influence in the early origin of obesity and its complications are described in the present investigation.

Keywords

• hipoxia
• noxa
• programación fetal in utero.