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Cardiac Evaluation of the Developmental Origins of Adult Cardiovascular Diseases. Edition No. 1
VDM Publishing House, July 2008, Pages: 124
Low birth weight has been widely shown to be correlated with drastically increased risk of developing adult cardiovascular diseases. Unfortunately, the cause of this association is relatively unknown. This work explores the possible mechanisms that underlie this association, with focus on the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis. IGFs are essential regulators of fetal growth. Their effects are modulated by the IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs). Circulating IGFBP-1 levels are elevated in growth-restricted human fetuses, and fetal growth restriction increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. This work reveals that transgenic mice with elevated levels of circulating IGFBP-1 in late gestation are growth restricted, and have altered cardiac morphology and function. This altered development likely leads to significant impairments in cardiac morphology and function in adulthood, therefore contributing to increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
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