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Review
. 2023 Feb;30(2):442-463.
doi: 10.1007/s43032-022-00999-8. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Developmental Programming in Animal Models: Critical Evidence of Current Environmental Negative Changes

Victoria Ramírez  1 , Regina J Bautista  2 , Oswaldo Frausto-González  3 , Nelly Rodríguez-Peña  4 , Eduardo Tena Betancourt  2 , Claudia J Bautista  5
Affiliations
Review

Developmental Programming in Animal Models: Critical Evidence of Current Environmental Negative Changes

Victoria Ramírez et al. Reprod Sci. 2023 Feb.

Abstract

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) approach answers questions surrounding the early events suffered by the mother during reproductive stages that can either partially or permanently influence the developmental programming of children, predisposing them to be either healthy or exhibit negative health outcomes in adulthood. Globally, vulnerable populations tend to present high obesity rates, including among school-age children and women of reproductive age. In addition, adults suffer from high rates of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular, and other metabolic diseases. The increase in metabolic outcomes has been associated with the combination of maternal womb conditions and adult lifestyle-related factors such as malnutrition and obesity, smoking habits, and alcoholism. However, to date, "new environmental changes" have recently been considered negative factors of development, such as maternal sedentary lifestyle, lack of maternal attachment during lactation, overcrowding, smog, overurbanization, industrialization, noise pollution, and psychosocial stress experienced during the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Therefore, it is important to recognize how all these factors impact offspring development during pregnancy and lactation, a period in which the subject cannot protect itself from these mechanisms. This review aims to introduce the importance of studying DOHaD, discuss classical programming studies, and address the importance of studying new emerging programming mechanisms, known as actual lifestyle factors, during pregnancy and lactation.

Keywords: Animal models; Gestation; Lactation; Maternal programming; Metabolism; New epigenetic factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Offspring effects from mothers exposed to different diets and environmental conditions
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Maternal classical and new emerging factors in developmental programming during gestation and lactation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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