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This edited volumeaims to describe physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms that underlie human maternal-fetal interactions. The book emphasizes the structure and development of the fetoplacental unit, the endocrine and nutritional regulation of fetal development, nitric oxide signalling, solute carriers function and ion channels regulation in healthy pregnancies and diseases, like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and maternal obesity, among others. Also, we highlight novel mechanisms associated with language impairment in children, the use of serotonin inhibitors or cannabis during pregnancy, and maternal conditions' potential impact on cerebrovascular development in newborns and infants. The cellular and molecular understanding of maternal-fetal physiology and pathophysiology will allow the readers to understand the impact of diseases or conditions that are highly prevalent in pregnant women.
List of contents
Feto-Placental Unit: from development to function.- Role of hormones during gestation and early development: pathways involved in developmental programming.- Physiological and pathophysiological role of large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (BKCa) in HUVECs and placenta.- Metabolic interaction between Folate, Vitamin B12 and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in pregnancy.- Evidence of nitric oxide impairment during hypertensive pregnancies.- Pathophysiology of preeclampsia and L-Arginine/L-citrulline supplementation as a potential strategy to improve birth outcomes.- Maternal and fetal expression of ATP-binding cassette and Solute Carrier transporters involved in the brain disposition of drugs.- Development of the placenta and brain are affected by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors exposure during critical periods.- The endocannabinoid system in placenta and respiratory central nervous system development: effects of prenatal exposure to cannabinoids.- Impact of prenatal nicotine exposure on placental function and respiratory neural network development.- Language impairment in children of mothers with gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and preterm delivery: current hypothesis and potential underlying mechanisms.- COVID-19 on pregnancy outcomes, mental health and placenta: focus in Latin America.- The placental function beyond pregnancy: Insights from Latin America.
About the author
Marcelo González-Ortiz earned a PhD in Physiological Sciences from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in 2009. From 2009 to 2018, he led the Vascular Physiology Lab at the Department of Physiology, and since 2018, he has been the head of the Maternal-Fetal Research Lab at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Faculty of Medicine at Universidad de Concepción in Chile. His research is focused on studying the regulation mechanisms of nitric oxide synthesis and calcium-activated potassium channels in the human placenta under both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Currently, Dr. González-Ortiz's research projects concentrate on gestational diabetes and the effects of COVID-19 on the placenta and children.
