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Carter AM. The shingled girl: Catherine Janet Hill and her contributions to embryology. J Morphol 2024; 285:e21674. [PMID: 38362646 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Catherine J. Hill is best remembered for her dedication to cataloguing the comprehensive embryological collection of her father J. P. Hill. Yet, her own research, during the interwar years, is little known. She made a significant contribution to interpreting the autonomic innervation of the gut, work that was presented to The Royal Society and earned her a PhD. Working in her father's laboratory, she then set about solving the sequence of secretions from the tubal epithelium and uterine glands that contributed the two layers of egg albumen and three shell layers of the monotreme egg. She was also the first to understand twinning in the marmoset and how two embryos came to share a single extraembryonic coelom, work that often is credited to J. P. Hill. Here. I explain how that happened and explore the context in which she and other female scientists worked at the time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M Carter
- Cardiovascular and Renal Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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2
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Rutherford JN, Ross CN, Ziegler T, Burke LA, Steffen AD, Sills A, Layne Colon D, deMartelly VA, Narapareddy LR, Tardif SD. Womb to womb: Maternal litter size and birth weight but not adult characteristics predict early neonatal death of offspring in the common marmoset monkey. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252093. [PMID: 34106943 PMCID: PMC8189522 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A singular focus on maternal health at the time of a pregnancy leaves much about perinatal mortality unexplained, especially when there is growing evidence for maternal early life effects. Further, lumping stillbirth and early neonatal death into a single category of perinatal mortality may obscure different causes and thus different avenues of screening and prevention. The common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus), a litter-bearing nonhuman primate, is an ideal species in which to study the independent effects of a mother's early life and adult phenotypes on pregnancy outcomes. We tested two hypotheses in 59 marmoset pregnancies at the Southwest National Primate Research Center and the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies. We explored 1) whether pregnancy outcomes were predicted independently by maternal adult weight versus maternal litter size and birth weight, and 2) whether stillbirth and early neonatal death were differentially predicted by maternal variables. No maternal characteristics predicted stillbirth and no maternal adult characteristics predicted early neonatal death. In univariate Poisson models, triplet-born females had a significantly increased rate of early neonatal death (IRR[se] = 3.00[1.29], p = 0.011), while higher birth weight females had a decreased rate (IRR[se] = 0.89[0.05], p = 0.039). In multivariate Poisson models, maternal litter size remained an independent predictor, explaining 13% of the variance in early neonatal death. We found that the later in the first week those neonates died, the more weight they lost. Together these findings suggest that triplet-born and low birth weight females have distinct developmental trajectories underlying greater rates of infant loss, losses that we suggest may be attributable to developmental disruption of infant feeding and carrying. Our findings of early life contributions to adult pregnancy outcomes in the common marmoset disrupt mother-blaming narratives of pregnancy outcomes in humans. These narratives hold that the pregnant person is solely responsible for pregnancy outcomes and the health of their children, independent of socioecological factors, a moralistic framing that has shaped clinical pregnancy management. It is necessary to differentiate temporal trajectories and causes of perinatal loss and view them as embedded in external processes to develop screening, diagnostic, and treatment tools that consider the full arc of a mother's lived experience, from womb to womb and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julienne N. Rutherford
- Department of Human Development Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Corinna N. Ross
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Toni Ziegler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Larisa A. Burke
- Office for Research Facilitation, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Alana D. Steffen
- Department of Population Health Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Aubrey Sills
- Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Donna Layne Colon
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Victoria A. deMartelly
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Laren R. Narapareddy
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Suzette D. Tardif
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara Ocobock
- Department of Anthropology University Notre Dame Notre Dame IN 46556 USA
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Human PZP and common marmoset A2ML1 as pregnancy related proteins. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5088. [PMID: 32198464 PMCID: PMC7083932 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61714-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
While pregnancy-related proteins (PRP) are known to contribute to immunotolerance during pregnancy, their significance to development of invasive placenta is unclear. We compared PRP expression in humans and the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), a new-world monkey. Invasive placenta was observed at the maternal-foetal interface of marmoset placenta from green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing foetus and wild type mother. The pregnancy zone protein (PZP) and alpha-2 macroglobulin-like 1 (A2ML1) proteins exhibited the most prominent increase in expression during the second trimester in humans and marmoset, respectively. In humans, PZP accumulated at the maternal-foetal interface and A2ML1 accumulated in the amnion. Similarly, A2ML1 mRNA was detected in marmoset placenta. These proteins belong to the A2M family of protease inhibitors, and both PZP and A2ML1 share around 90% homology between human and marmoset and have highly conserved structures. However, the protease-reacting bait regions of the proteins had lower homology (56.8–60.7% in proteins) relative to the rest of the sequence. Notably, the cleavage site of a proinflammatory proline-endopeptidase was preserved in human PZP and marmoset A2ML1. These proteins contain multiple sites that are cleaved by proteases involving proline-endopeptidase. Systemic regulation of these A2M family proteins may be important in animals with invasive placenta.
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Narapareddy L, Wildman DE, Armstrong DL, Weckle A, Bell AF, Patil CL, Tardif SD, Ross CN, Rutherford JN. Maternal weight affects placental DNA methylation of genes involved in metabolic pathways in the common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus). Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23101. [PMID: 32020652 PMCID: PMC7154656 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that dysregulation of placental DNA methylation (DNAm) is a mechanism linking maternal weight during pregnancy to metabolic programming outcomes. The common marmoset, Callithrix jaccus, is a platyrrhine primate species that has provided much insight into studies of the primate placenta, maternal condition, and metabolic programming, yet the relationships between maternal weight and placental DNAm are unknown. Here, we report genome‐wide DNAm from term marmoset placentas using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing. We identified 74 genes whose DNAm pattern is associated with maternal weight during gestation. These genes are predominantly involved in energy metabolism and homeostasis, including the regulation of glycolytic and lipid metabolic processes pathways. The placental DNA methylation (DNAm) landscape of the marmoset placenta presents unique differences and similarities with human placental methylation patterns. Maternal weight is associated with placental DNAm in genes that are predominantly involved in energy metabolism and homeostasis. The impact of altered placental DNAm on placental function and development may also contribute to the potential role of placental DNAm in developmental programming in the marmoset monkey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laren Narapareddy
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Derek E Wildman
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Don L Armstrong
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Amy Weckle
- Illinois Water Resources Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Aleeca F Bell
- Department of Women, Children and Family Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Crystal L Patil
- Department of Women, Children and Family Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Suzette D Tardif
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, Southwest National Primate Research Center, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Corinna N Ross
- Program of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Julienne N Rutherford
- Department of Women, Children and Family Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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Rutherford JN, Victoria A deMartelly, Ragsdale HB, Avila JL, Lee NR, Kuzawa CW. Global population variation in placental size and structure: Evidence from Cebu, Philippines. Placenta 2019; 85:40-48. [PMID: 31445348 PMCID: PMC6742541 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2019.08.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Revised: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Placental morphology influences the intrauterine environment and fetal growth, which help set life-course health trajectories across generations. Little is known about placental characteristics in populations with chronic nutritional insufficiency where birth weights tend to be lower, and how these relationships between birth and placental weights vary across populations. METHODS We collected weights and stereologically-determined villous mass and surface area of 21 placentas from offspring of women enrolled in a birth cohort study in metropolitan Cebu, Philippines, a low-income population. We identified 15 samples from other global populations ranging from low to high income that had similar data to ours to assess patterns of variation between birth and placental weights and microscopic characteristics. We ranked the population samples in order for each characteristic. RESULTS Mean birth weight in Cebu was 3162 ± 80 g (ranked 9/16) and placental weight was 454 ± 32 g (ranked 12/16). Birth:placental weight ratio was 7.0 (ranked 3/16). Average villous surface area for Cebu placentas was 6.5 m2 (ranked 9/12); Birth weight:villous surface area was 0.048 g/m2 (ranked 4/12). DISCUSSION Placentas from Cebu produced heavier neonates per units of placental weight and villous surface area than most other populations, despite lower villous surface areas and less complex surface-to-volume topography. This range of placental efficiency spurs questions about the mechanisms by which placental morphology optimizes efficiency in different environmental contexts during gestation. Placental variation both within and across populations is likely due to many intersecting environmental, metabolic, and (epi)genetic factors that will require additional research to clarify.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julienne N Rutherford
- Department of Women, Children, and Family Health, Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | | | - Haley B Ragsdale
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Josephine L Avila
- USC- Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos, Cebu, Philippines
| | - Nanette R Lee
- USC- Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos, Cebu, Philippines
| | - Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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Frye BM, Rapaport LG, Melber T, Sears MW, Tardif SD. Sibling sex, but not androgens, shapes phenotypes in perinatal common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Sci Rep 2019; 9:1100. [PMID: 30705381 PMCID: PMC6355804 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37723-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
When offspring share a womb, interactions among fetuses can impart lasting impressions on phenotypic outcomes. Such intrauterine interactions often are mediated by sex steroids (estrogens and androgens) produced by the developing fetuses. In many mammals, intrauterine interactions between brothers and sisters lead to masculinization of females, which can induce fitness consequences. Many litter-bearing primates, though, seem to escape androgen-mediated litter effects, begging why? Here, we investigated how the sex composition (i.e., same- or mixed-sex) of litters influences perinatal outcomes in the common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus), using a combination of physiological, morphological, and behavioural assays. We hypothesized that androgens from male fetuses would mediate developmental differences across litter types. We found that newborns (24-36 hours old) from same- and mixed-sex litters were indistinguishable by urinary androgen profiles, birth weights, morphometrics, and behaviour. However, monkeys born into same- and mixed-sex litters exhibited subtle morphological and neurobehavioral differences later in the perinatal period, independent of their androgen profiles. Our findings suggest that while androgens from male fetuses likely do not organize their siblings' phenotypes, perinatal stimuli may initiate divergent developmental trajectories among siblings, which, in turn, promotes inter-individual variability within families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett M Frye
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, 29634, USA.
| | - Lisa G Rapaport
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, 29634, USA
| | - Talia Melber
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Michael W Sears
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, 29634, USA
| | - Suzette D Tardif
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, San Antonio, Texas, 78227, USA
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Seferovic M, Sánchez-San Martín C, Tardif SD, Rutherford J, Castro ECC, Li T, Hodara VL, Parodi LM, Giavedoni L, Layne-Colon D, Tamhankar M, Yagi S, Martyn C, Reyes K, Suter MA, Aagaard KM, Chiu CY, Patterson JL. Experimental Zika Virus Infection in the Pregnant Common Marmoset Induces Spontaneous Fetal Loss and Neurodevelopmental Abnormalities. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6851. [PMID: 29717225 PMCID: PMC5931554 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25205-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
During its most recent outbreak across the Americas, Zika virus (ZIKV) was surprisingly shown to cause fetal loss and congenital malformations in acutely and chronically infected pregnant women. However, understanding the underlying pathogenesis of ZIKV congenital disease has been hampered by a lack of relevant in vivo experimental models. Here we present a candidate New World monkey model of ZIKV infection in pregnant marmosets that faithfully recapitulates human disease. ZIKV inoculation at the human-equivalent of early gestation caused an asymptomatic seroconversion, induction of type I/II interferon-associated genes and proinflammatory cytokines, and persistent viremia and viruria. Spontaneous pregnancy loss was observed 16-18 days post-infection, with extensive active placental viral replication and fetal neurocellular disorganization similar to that seen in humans. These findings underscore the key role of the placenta as a conduit for fetal infection, and demonstrate the utility of marmosets as a highly relevant model for studying congenital ZIKV disease and pregnancy loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxim Seferovic
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Molecular and Human Genetics, and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Suzette D Tardif
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA
| | - Julienne Rutherford
- Department of Women, Children and Family Health Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Eumenia C C Castro
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Molecular and Human Genetics, and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Tony Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Vida L Hodara
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA
- Department of Virology and Immunology, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA
| | - Laura M Parodi
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA
- Department of Virology and Immunology, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA
| | - Luis Giavedoni
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA
- Department of Virology and Immunology, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA
| | - Donna Layne-Colon
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA
| | - Manasi Tamhankar
- Department of Virology and Immunology, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA
| | - Shigeo Yagi
- California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA, 94804, USA
| | - Calla Martyn
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Kevin Reyes
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Melissa A Suter
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Molecular and Human Genetics, and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kjersti M Aagaard
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Molecular and Human Genetics, and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Charles Y Chiu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- Department of Medicine/Infectious Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
| | - Jean L Patterson
- Department of Virology and Immunology, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA.
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Riesche L, Tardif SD, Ross CN, deMartelly VA, Ziegler T, Rutherford JN. The common marmoset monkey: avenues for exploring the prenatal, placental, and postnatal mechanisms in developmental programming of pediatric obesity. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2018; 314:R684-R692. [PMID: 29412686 PMCID: PMC6008109 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00164.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Animal models have been critical in building evidence that the prenatal experience and intrauterine environment are capable of exerting profound and permanent effects on metabolic health through developmental programming of obesity. However, despite physiological and evolutionary similarities, nonhuman primate models are relatively rare. The common marmoset monkey ( Callithrix jacchus) is a New World monkey that has been used as a biomedical model for well more than 50 years and has recently been framed as an appropriate model for exploring early-life impacts on later health and disease. The spontaneous, multifactorial, and early-life development of obesity in the common marmoset make it a valuable research model for advancing our knowledge about the role of the prenatal and placental mechanisms involved in developmental programming of obesity. This paper provides a brief overview of obesity in the common marmoset, followed by a discussion of marmoset reproduction and placental characteristics. We then discuss the occurrence and utility of variable intrauterine environments in developmental programming in marmosets. Evidence of developmental programming of obesity will be given, and finally, we put forward future directions and innovations for including the placenta in developmental programming of obesity in the common marmoset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laren Riesche
- University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | | | | | - Toni Ziegler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center , Madison, Wisconsin
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Wildman DE. IFPA award in placentology lecture: Phylogenomic origins and evolution of the mammalian placenta. Placenta 2016; 48 Suppl 1:S31-S39. [DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2016.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Perez SI, Rosenberger AL. The status of platyrrhine phylogeny: A meta-analysis and quantitative appraisal of topological hypotheses. J Hum Evol 2014; 76:177-87. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2013] [Revised: 08/16/2014] [Accepted: 08/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Rutherford JN, deMartelly VA, Layne Colon DG, Ross CN, Tardif SD. Developmental origins of pregnancy loss in the adult female common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus). PLoS One 2014; 9:e96845. [PMID: 24871614 PMCID: PMC4037172 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2013] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The impact of the intrauterine environment on the developmental programming of adult female reproductive success is still poorly understood and potentially underestimated. Litter size variation in a nonhuman primate, the common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus), allows us to model the effects of varying intrauterine environments (e.g. nutrient restriction, exposure to male womb-mates) on the risk of losing fetuses in adulthood. Our previous work has characterized the fetuses of triplet pregnancies as experiencing intrauterine nutritional restriction. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We used over a decade of demographic data from the Southwest National Primate Research Center common marmoset colony. We evaluated differences between twin and triplet females in the number of pregnancies they produce and the proportion of those pregnancies that ended in fetal loss. We found that triplet females produced the same number of total offspring as twin females, but lost offspring during pregnancy at a significantly higher rate than did twins (38% vs. 13%, p = 0.02). Regardless of their own birth weight or the sex ratio of the litter the experienced as fetuses, triplet females lost more fetuses than did twins. Females with a male littermate experienced a significant increase in the proportion of stillbirths. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE These striking findings anchor pregnancy loss in the mother's own fetal environment and development, underscoring a "Womb to Womb" view of the lifecourse and the intergenerational consequences of development. This has important translational implications for understanding the large proportion of human stillbirths that are unexplained. Our findings provide strong evidence that a full understanding of mammalian life history and reproductive biology requires a developmental foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julienne N. Rutherford
- Department of Women, Children, and Family Health, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Victoria A. deMartelly
- Department of Women, Children, and Family Health, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Donna G. Layne Colon
- Southwest National Primate Research Center/Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Corinna N. Ross
- Southwest National Primate Research Center/Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- Texas A & M University - San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, Barshop Institute for Longevity & Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Suzette D. Tardif
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, Barshop Institute for Longevity & Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
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Favaron PO, Mess AM, de Oliveira MF, Gabory A, Miglino MA, Chavatte-Palmer P, Tarrade A. Morphometric analysis of the placenta in the New World mouse Necromys lasiurus (Rodentia, Cricetidae): a comparison of placental development in cricetids and murids. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2013; 11:10. [PMID: 23433040 PMCID: PMC3598642 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7827-11-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2012] [Accepted: 02/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stereology is an established method to extrapolate three-dimensional quantities from two-dimensional images. It was applied to placentation in the mouse, but not yet for other rodents. Herein, we provide the first study on quantitative placental development in a sigmodontine rodent species with relatively similar gestational time. Placental structure was also compared to the mouse, in order to evaluate similarities and differences in developmental patterns at the end of gestation. METHODS Fetal and placental tissues of Necromys lasiurus were collected and weighed at 3 different stages of gestation (early, mid and late gestation) for placental stereology. The total and relative volumes of placenta and of its main layers were investigated. Volume fractions of labyrinth components were quantified by the One Stop method in 31 placentae collected from different individuals, using the Mercator software. Data generated at the end of gestation from N. lasiurus placentae were compared to those of Mus musculus domesticus obtained at the same stage. RESULTS A significant increase in the total absolute volumes of the placenta and its main layers occurred from early to mid-gestation, followed by a reduction near term, with the labyrinth layer becoming the most prominent area. Moreover, at the end of gestation, the total volume of the mouse placenta was significantly increased compared to that of N. lasiurus although the proportions of the labyrinth layer and junctional zones were similar. Analysis of the volume fractions of the components in the labyrinth indicated a significant increase in fetal vessels and sinusoidal giant cells, a decrease in labyrinthine trophoblast whereas the proportion of maternal blood space remained stable in the course of gestation. On the other hand, in the mouse, volume fractions of fetal vessels and sinusoidal giant cells decreased whereas the volume fraction of labyrinthine trophoblast increased compared to N. lasiurus placenta. CONCLUSIONS Placental development differed between N. lasiurus and M. musculus domesticus. In particular, the low placental efficiency in N. lasiurus seemed to induce morphological optimization of fetomaternal exchanges. In conclusion, despite similar structural aspects of placentation in these species, the quantitative dynamics showed important differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phelipe O Favaron
- Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-270, Brazil
| | - Andrea M Mess
- Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-270, Brazil
| | - Moacir F de Oliveira
- Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, 59625-900, Brazil
| | - Anne Gabory
- INRA, UMR 1198 Biologie du Développement et Reproduction, Jouy-en-Josas, F-78352, France
- ENVA, Maisons-Alfort, F-94704, France
| | - Maria A Miglino
- Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-270, Brazil
| | - Pascale Chavatte-Palmer
- INRA, UMR 1198 Biologie du Développement et Reproduction, Jouy-en-Josas, F-78352, France
- ENVA, Maisons-Alfort, F-94704, France
- Foundation PremUp, Paris, France
| | - Anne Tarrade
- INRA, UMR 1198 Biologie du Développement et Reproduction, Jouy-en-Josas, F-78352, France
- ENVA, Maisons-Alfort, F-94704, France
- Foundation PremUp, Paris, France
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Tardif SD, Power ML, Ross CN, Rutherford JN. Body mass growth in common marmosets: toward a model of pediatric obesity. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 150:21-8. [PMID: 23283661 PMCID: PMC3607500 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2012] [Accepted: 06/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
While much is known about adult obesity in nonhuman primates, very little is known regarding development of childhood adiposity. As small monkeys that are easy to handle and have a relatively fast life history, common marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus) offer interesting opportunities to examine the question of fat versus lean mass growth in a nonhuman primate. This article provides an overview of our understanding of early life growth in mass in marmoset monkeys, based primarily upon our past 20 years of research, culminating in our recent findings on early life obesity in this species. Common marmosets display variance in early life growth patterns that is related to both pre- and postnatal factors and the marmoset uterine environment is exquisitely designed to reflect resources available for the gestation of multiple offspring, making them an interesting model of developmental programming. We have demonstrated that obesity can be generated in very early life in captive marmosets, with excess adiposity evident by one month of age, making this species a potentially valuable model in which to study pediatric obesity and its sequelae. Birth weight is associated with adiposity in animals vulnerable to obesity. Early life exposure to higher fat diets enhances the chances of postweaning obesity development. However, overall higher food consumption is also associated with obesity development at later ages. One unexpected finding in our studies has been the relatively high body fat percentage of neonatal (12-18%) marmosets suggesting that hypotheses regarding the uniqueness of high human neonatal adiposity merit further examination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzette D Tardif
- Barshop Institute for Longevity & Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, 78245, USA.
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15
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Rutherford JN. Toward a nonhuman primate model of fetal programming: phenotypic plasticity of the common marmoset fetoplacental complex. Placenta 2012; 33 Suppl 2:e35-9. [PMID: 22776637 PMCID: PMC3482116 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2012.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2012] [Revised: 06/04/2012] [Accepted: 06/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Nonhuman primates offer unique opportunities as animal models in the study of developmental programming and the role of the placenta in developmental processes. All primates share fundamental similarities in life history and reproductive biology. Thus, insights gleaned from studies of nonhuman primates have a higher degree of biological salience to human biology than do studies of rodents or agricultural animals. The common marmoset monkey is a small-bodied primate from South America that produces litters of dizygotic fetuses that share a single placental mass. This natural variation allows us to model different intrauterine conditions and associated fetoplacental phenotypes. The marmoset placenta is phenotypically plastic according to litter size. Triplet litters are characterized by low individual fetal weights and significantly more efficient placentas and attendant alterations to the microscopic architecture and endocrine function, thus modeling a nutrient restricted intrauterine environment. Consistent with this model, triplet neonates experience a higher risk of perinatal mortality and an increased likelihood of elevated adult weight. Recent evidence has shown that the intrauterine experience of females has an impact on their own pregnancy outcomes in adulthood: triplet females experience significantly greater pregnancy loss than do twin females. The marmoset monkey thus represents a potential powerful nonhuman primate model of multiple pregnancies, restrictive prenatal experiences, and differential reproductive outcomes in adulthood, which may have important implications for studying the impact of in vitro fertilization on adult reproductive health. It is still too early to determine exactly what developmental pathways lead to this disparity or what specific role the placenta plays; future work on this front will be critical to establish the marmoset as an important model of fetal programming of reproductive function in adulthood and across generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julienne N Rutherford
- Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, Comparative Primate Biology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Chicago, 801 S. Paulina Street, M/C 690, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
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16
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The evolutionary significance of placental interdigitation in mammalian reproduction: contributions from comparative studies. Placenta 2012; 33:763-8. [PMID: 22840298 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2012.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2012] [Revised: 07/03/2012] [Accepted: 07/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The placenta is fundamental to mammalian reproduction and is surprisingly diverse in gross morphology among species. Whether and how this diversity affects maternal investment and fetal growth is still poorly understood. Contrary to suggestions that highly invasive hemochorial placentation is beneficial to fetal development, recent comparative studies have revealed that interdigitation - the degree of contact between maternal and fetal tissues at the area of exchange - strongly influences fetal growth rates. Species with labyrinthine placentae give birth to neonates of similar size to those of species with villous or trabecular placentae but in less than half the time. These findings suggest that there might be tradeoffs between fetal growth rates (higher with greater interdigitation) and gestation time (shorter with greater interdigitation), in association with type of interdigitation. Such tradeoffs might be the results of maternal-offspring conflict over the allocation of maternal resources, with paternal genes favouring greater interdigitation and so higher fetal growth, and maternal genes responding by reducing gestation time. These results emphasize the role of interdigitation as a means to increase the surface area for exchange, and are consistent with within species studies demonstrating that a higher surface area for exchange is associated with heavier neonates. Further studies could investigate the role of other traits in the evolution of placental diversity and their impact on fetal development.
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17
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DeMartelly V, Hurley P, Lawrence M, Redmond DE, Rutherford J. Comparison of fresh to fixed weights of the vervet monkey (Chlorocebus sabaeus) placenta and its relation to gestational age. J Med Primatol 2012; 41:158-62. [PMID: 22296111 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0684.2011.00534.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Focus on the placenta as an agent of fetal development and offspring health outcomes is growing. Primate research facilities or zoos may collect and fix placental tissue for long-term storage, but little is known about the effects of formalin fixation on the non-human primate placenta. METHODS We obtained 48 vervet monkey placentas from the St. Kitts Biomedical Research Foundation. We investigated via correlation coefficients and ANOVAs the effects of gestational age and original fresh weight on weight change due to fixation. We also used linear regression models to determine whether fixed tissue weight was predictive of fresh weight and gestational age. RESULTS Although the vervet monkey placenta is described as bidiscoid, 14.6% of the placentas in this sample were fused into a single mass. A decrease in weight was the most common response to formalin fixation, with the greatest degree of loss experienced by the heaviest placentas (ANOVA, F=5.99, P=0.005). Gestational age was unrelated to weight change. Those placentas that increased in weight had the lowest fresh weights. Fixed weights significantly predicted both fresh weight and gestational age (r(2) =0.78, P<0.00001; r(2) =0.76, P<0.00001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS This paper adds to a sparse literature on the vervet monkey placenta. That fixed placentas are excellent predictors of both fresh weight and gestational age suggests that banked tissue may be a valuable resource for reconstructing aspects of individual life history, although caution must be exercised given the variability of weight change as a function of original placental size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria DeMartelly
- Comparative Primate Biology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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19
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Rutherford JN, Eklund A, Tardif S. Placental insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) and its relation to litter size in the common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus). Am J Primatol 2010; 71:969-75. [PMID: 19743442 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The primate placenta produces a wide variety of hormones throughout gestation that regulate placental function and fetal growth. One such hormone is insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II), a peptide implicated in cell division, differentiation, and amino acid transport. IGF-II concentrations were measured in 23 common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) term placentas from twin and triplet litters in order to determine whether previously described differences in fetoplacental phenotype such as placental and litter mass and placental surface area were related to differences in endocrine function. IGF-II was extracted from frozen tissue samples and measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit designed for human tissue, which was validated for marmoset placenta. IGF-II concentrations were not related to placental or litter mass, and twin and triplet placentas did not differ in total concentration. However, per individual fetus, triplets were associated with a significant 42% reduction in IGF-II concentration (P = 0.03), and IGF-II concentration per gram of fetal mass was a third lower in triplet litters. The triplet placenta exhibits a global expansion of the surface area which was contrasted by a per unit area reduction in IGF-II concentration (r = -0.75, P = 0.01), a pattern that explains why twin and triplet placentas overall did not differ in concentration. Per fetus, triplet pregnancies are associated with relatively less maternal mass, placental mass and microscopic surface area suggesting that the intrauterine growth of triplets is supported by systems that increase the efficiency of nutrient transfer. The finding that individual triplet fetuses are also associated with significantly lower IGF-II concentrations is consistent with the view that the marmoset fetoplacental unit exhibits a flexible pattern of placental allocation and metabolism. Plasticity in placental endocrine and metabolic function is likely to play an important role in the ability of the fetus to sense and accommodate the intrauterine environment and, by extension, the external ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julienne N Rutherford
- Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 801 S. Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
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20
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Tardif SD, Ross CN. Integration of proximate and evolutionary explanation of reproductive strategy: the case of callitrichid primates and implications for human biology. Am J Hum Biol 2010; 21:731-8. [PMID: 19384864 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.20932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We offer examples of how proximate and evolutionary forms of argument may inform each other in better understanding reproductive strategy in callitrichid primates, the smallest of the anthropoid primates. In addition, we illustrate how comparative approaches, when applied judiciously, can aid in the formulation of hypotheses regarding even seemingly unique traits within a taxonomic group. In the first example, examination of the nature of genetics in cytokine systems that leads to altered ovulation number in sheep suggests some relatively simple changes could explain both the adaptation of increased ovulation number in marmosets and the subsequent decrease in ovulation number in the closely related species, callimico. In the second example, the role of body size and phylogeny in explaining the role of maternal energy constraints upon gestation and lactation is explored, leading to additional hypotheses regarding these relations in a species that is both small but also in a phylogenetic line selected for slow reproduction. Finally, the role of comparative data in the study of proximate and evolutionary explanations of "unique" human reproductive strategies is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzette D Tardif
- Barshop Institute for Longevity & Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78245, USA.
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21
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Rutherford JN. Fetal signaling through placental structure and endocrine function: illustrations and implications from a nonhuman primate model. Am J Hum Biol 2009; 21:745-53. [PMID: 19384862 PMCID: PMC3319756 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.20923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The placenta is a transmitter of fetal need and fetal quality, interfacing directly with maternal physiology and ecology. Plasticity of placental structure and function across the developmental timeframe of gestation may serve as an important tool by which a fetus calibrates its growth to shifting maternal ecology and resource availability, and thereby signals its quality and adaptability to a changing environment. Signals of this quality may be conveyed by the size of the placental interface, an important marker of fetal access to maternal resources, or by production of placental insulin-like growth factor-II, a driver of fetoplacental growth. Litter size variation in the common marmoset monkey offers the opportunity to explore intrauterine resource allocation and placental plasticity in an important nonhuman primate model. Triplet marmosets are born at lower birth weights and have poorer postnatal outcomes and survivorship than do twins; triplet placentas differ in placental efficiency, microscopic morphology, and endocrine function. Through placental plasticity, triplet fetuses are able to adjust functional access to maternal resources in a way that allows pregnancy to proceed. However, the costs of such mechanisms may relate to reduced fetal growth and altered postnatal outcomes, with the potential to lead to adverse adult health consequences, suggesting an important link between the placenta itself and the developmental origins of health and disease.
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Fowden AL, Sferruzzi-Perri AN, Coan PM, Constancia M, Burton GJ. Placental efficiency and adaptation: endocrine regulation. J Physiol 2009; 587:3459-72. [PMID: 19451204 PMCID: PMC2742275 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2009.173013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2009] [Accepted: 05/06/2009] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Size at birth is critical in determining life expectancy and is dependent primarily on the placental supply of nutrients. However, the fetus is not just a passive recipient of nutrients from the placenta. It exerts a significant acquisitive drive for nutrients, which acts through morphological and functional adaptations in the placenta, particularly when the genetically determined drive for fetal growth is compromised by adverse intrauterine conditions. These adaptations alter the efficiency with which the placenta supports fetal growth, which results in optimal growth for prevailing conditions in utero. This review examines placental efficiency as a means of altering fetal growth, the morphological and functional adaptations that influence placental efficiency and the endocrine regulation of these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A L Fowden
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Physiology Building, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK.
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