TY - JOUR
T1 - Epigenetics and developmental programming of adult onset diseases
AU - O'Sullivan, Lee
AU - Little, Melissa H.
AU - Combes, Alexander N.
AU - Moritz, Karen M.
PY - 2012/12/1
Y1 - 2012/12/1
N2 - Maternal perturbations or sub-optimal conditions during development are now recognized as contributing to the onset of many diseases manifesting in adulthood. This "developmental programming" of disease has been explored using animal models allowing insights into the potential mechanisms involved. Impaired renal development, resulting in a low nephron number, has been identified as a common outcome that is likely to contribute to the development of hypertension in the offspring as adults. Changes in other organs and systems, including the heart and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, have also been found. Evidence has recently emerged suggesting that epigenetic changes may occur as a result of developmental programming and result in permanent changes in the expression patterns of particular genes. Such epigenetic modifications may be responsible not only for an increased susceptibility to disease for an individual, but indirectly for the establishment of a disease state in a subsequent generation. Further research in this field, particularly examination as to whether epigenetic changes to genes affecting kidney development do occur, are essential to understanding the underlying mechanisms of developmental programming of disease.
AB - Maternal perturbations or sub-optimal conditions during development are now recognized as contributing to the onset of many diseases manifesting in adulthood. This "developmental programming" of disease has been explored using animal models allowing insights into the potential mechanisms involved. Impaired renal development, resulting in a low nephron number, has been identified as a common outcome that is likely to contribute to the development of hypertension in the offspring as adults. Changes in other organs and systems, including the heart and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, have also been found. Evidence has recently emerged suggesting that epigenetic changes may occur as a result of developmental programming and result in permanent changes in the expression patterns of particular genes. Such epigenetic modifications may be responsible not only for an increased susceptibility to disease for an individual, but indirectly for the establishment of a disease state in a subsequent generation. Further research in this field, particularly examination as to whether epigenetic changes to genes affecting kidney development do occur, are essential to understanding the underlying mechanisms of developmental programming of disease.
KW - Epigenetic modification
KW - Glucocorticoids
KW - Kidney
KW - Prenatal programming
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84879296312&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00467-012-2108-x
DO - 10.1007/s00467-012-2108-x
M3 - Review Article
C2 - 22302599
AN - SCOPUS:84879296312
VL - 27
SP - 2175
EP - 2182
JO - Pediatric Nephrology
JF - Pediatric Nephrology
SN - 0931-041X
IS - 12
ER -