Award details

BBSRC DTG Studentship: Foetal programming of cardiac health

Reference	BBS/E/B/0000L715
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Prof. Llewelyn Roderick
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Babraham Institute
Department	Babraham Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	184,981
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/10/2007
End date	30/09/2011
Duration	48 months

Abstract

The amount of nutrition that the foetus experiences whilst in the womb (in utero) influences how it makes use of the food it receives as an adult. This is particularly important for a foetus that has been nutritionally deprived in utero, which, as a result of too much nutrition after birth develops diseases, including diabetes and high blood pressure. It has been hypothesised that this adaptive response of the organism to experience in utero is determined by changes in the expression levels of certain genes (the copying of information form DNA to RNA then often into protein). As the DNA complement of an organism cannot be changed, this alteration in gene expression is achieved by modifications of the proteins that control the structure of the DNA; i.e. Epigenetic modifications. So far, it is not known whether this foetal programming of adult health affects how the heart grows in response to increased workload or whether there is an increased risk of heart failure. In addition, it is not known if gene expression in the heart is controlled by epigenetic modifications to the DNA generated in utero. In this study, we will investigate whether rats that have been nutritionally deprived in utero are at a greater risk of developing hypertrophy (an increase in cell size without increase in cell number) and whether their myocytes (muscle cells) are more likely to undergo hypertrophic growth following exposure to a particular stress. We will then determine whether epigenetics plays a role in controlling whether nutritional experience in utero impacts upon future cardiac health.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Genes & Developmental Biology (GDB)
Research Topics	Ageing, Diet and Health
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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