Asim K. Duttaroy Livres

This book highlights the impact of nutrients on early placentation processes and their relevance for fetal growth and pregnancy outcome. The role of maternal nutrition on fetal growth and development has been evidenced in many epidemiological studies that included infamous Dutch famine, Helsinki Birth cohort and others. Fetal programming hypothesis states that the nutritional and other environmental conditions under which an individual develops from pre-conception to birth has a major impact on the future health of the newborn child. The developmental environment of the fetus is primarily dependent on two major factors that are maternal nutritional state (excess/low/imbalance) and placental function. Placentation is characterized by the extensive remodeling of the maternal uterine vasculature producing low-resistance blood vessels that facilitate the exchange of nutrients and wastes between the mother and the fetus. Cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in human placental blood vessel formation, which are now well established, are discussed.

In light of the increasing importance of these proteins and their ligands for our understanding of cellular growth, differentiation, and development, as well as of diseases such as obesity, insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, cancer, and inflammation, a team of internationally renowned editors and authors have compiled here the very first comprehensive book on these topics. They describe fatty acid-activated transcription factors as well as membrane and soluble fatty acid transporters, covering such aspects as structure and function, lipid-protein interaction, delivery of ligands, and the roles of these proteins in gene expression pertaining to the homeostatic and diseased states of cells and organs. Incorporating recent findings, this is indispensable for basic scientists, health professionals in industry and clinics as well as postgraduate students. Contributors among others: N. A. Abumrad, J. E. Schaffer, G. Schmitz, N. J. Brunskill, J. Storch, U. Seedorf, S. Mandrup, C. N. A. Palmer, T. Perlmann, H. I. Nebb, J. Bar-Tana, H. Kondo, C. Wolfrum, C. Kerkhoff, S. Farmer, E. J. Murphy, J. F. C. Glatz, P. Besnard, J. M. Stewart, A. Meirhaeghe, J. Plutzky, W. Wahli, R. A. Roberts