Oxytocin, a main breastfeeding hormone, prevents hypertension acquired in utero: A therapeutics preview

Abstract

Hypertension is a major risk factor for ischemic heart disease and stroke, leading causes of morbidity and death worldwide. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), caused by an excess of glucocorticoid exposure to the fetus, produces an imbalance in oxidative stress altering many biochemical and epigenetic gene transcription processes exposing the fetus and neonate to the 'thrifty' phenotype and pervasive polymorphisms appearance damaging health, cognitive, and behavioral processes in later life. OT is a major regulator of oxidative stress radicals that plays a major role in neonatal maturation of the central nervous system and many peripheral tissues expressing oxytocin/oxytocin-receptor (OT/OTR) system in the early postnatal period. OT and OTR are damaged by IUGR and early stress. This review highlights the fact that hypertension is likely to be a legacy of preterm birth due to IUGR and failure to meet nutritional needs in early infancy when fed formula instead of breastfeeding or human milk. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Keywords

IUGR; DNA methylation; oxytocin; neuroprotection; development; hypertension

Published in

Biochimica et biophysica acta G. General subjects
2017, Volume: 1861, number: 1, pages: 3071-3084 Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

SLU Authors

• Uvnäs-Moberg, Kerstin

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.09.020

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/94179