REVIEW ARTICLE

Apuntes

REVIEW ARTICLE Molecular Reproduction & Development 82:726 – 734 (2015) Maternal Nutrition Influences Angiogenesis in the Placenta Through Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptors: A Novel Hypothesis AKSHAYA MEHER, DEEPALI SUNDRANI, AND SADHANA JOSHI* Interactive Research School for Health Affairs, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Pune, India SUMMARY Placental angiogenesis is critical to maintain adequate blood flow during gestation, and any alterations in this process can result in an adverse pregnancy. Growing evidence indicates that suboptimal maternal nutrition can alter placental develop- ment. Although the underlying mechanisms are not clear, maternal nutrition likely influences the expression of genes involved in placental development through regulation of various transcription factors such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), which can be activated by ligands including long-chain polyun- saturated fatty acids. Indeed, several studies demonstrated a role for PPAR in implantation, trophoblast differentiation, and angiogenesis. Alterations in maternal nutrition during pregnancy can affect the expression of PPARs via epigenetic mechanisms or t...