The bone-muscle ratio of fetal lambs is affected more by maternal nutrition during pregnancy than by maternal size

摘要

epidemiological and experjmental studies have highlighted a relationship between the periconceptual, fetal, and early infant phases of life and the subsequent development of adult disease. The "developmental origins of health and disease" (DOHaD) model refers to this relationship and speculates that the fetus adapts to environmental cues in utero, with permanent readjustments in homeostatic systems to aid survival. However, these adaptations, known as predictive adaptive responses (6, 7), may ultimately be disadvantageous in postnatal life and may lead to an increased risk of disease in adulthood. Most research has been directed to the relationship of an adverse prenatal environment and enhanced risk of some of the major chronic diseases of later life, such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes (1), and obesity (16).