Browsing by Author "Berlinguer, Fiammetta"

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    Polyphenols and iugr pregnancies: effects of maternal hydroxytyrosol supplementation on placental gene expression and fetal antioxidant status, dna-methylation and phenotype
    (2019) García Contreras, Consolación; Vázquez Gómez, Marta; Barbero Fernández, Alicia; Pesántez Pacheco, José Luis; Zinellu, Angelo; Berlinguer, Fiammetta; González Añover, Pedro; González, Jorge Ernesto; Encinas, Teresa; Torres Rovira, Laura; Nuñez, Yolanda; Ballesteros, Jaime; Ayuso, Miriam; Astiz, Susana; Isabel, Beatriz; González Bulnes, Antonio
    The use of polyphenols is a promising strategy for preventing or alleviating intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) because polyphenol supplementation increases plasma antioxidant capacity and improves oxidative stress at the feto-placental unit; which are recognized as main issues in IUGR. However, there is a scarcity of experimental data on both realistic benefits and potential hazards of polyphenol supplementation during gestation. Hence, we aimed to use a swine model of IUGR pregnancy to determine possible effects of maternal supplementation with polyphenols (hydroxytyrosol) on placental expression of genes involved in antioxidant homeostasis, vascularization and fetal growth and thus on antioxidant status, DNA-methylation and phenotypic traits (morphology and homeostasis) of the fetus. Hydroxytyrosol improves placental gene expression and fetal antioxidant status and glucose metabolism in a sex-dependent manner, in which males were favored in spite of developmental failures. Concomitantly, hydroxytyrosol prevented hypomethylation of DNA associated with oxidative stress. Finally, no major deleterious effects of hydroxytyrosol supplementation on constriction of the ductus arteriosus, a possible secondary effect of polyphenols during pregnancy, were found. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
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    The impact of prenatal environment on postnatal life and performance: future perspectives for prevention and treatment
    (2020) González Bulnes, Antonio; Parraguez, Víctor Hugo; Berlinguer, Fiammetta; Barbero Fernández, Alicia; Garcia Contreras, Consolación; López Tello, Jorge; Pesántez Pacheco, José Luis; Martínez Ros, Paula
    The present review aims to offer a non-comprehensive outline of the current state-of-the-art and future perspectives on management and therapeutic tools for intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and associated prenatal programming in both human and animal species. Animals are used as models for the study of phenomena related to IUGR, but also for research on prenatal therapies with the main objective of designing and developing preventive and therapeutic strategies. The research is currently paying attention on maternal-focused pharmacological treatments and nutritional strategies but also on fetal-focused treatments. Fetal-focused treatments, administered either directly at the fetus or by using infusion of umbilical cord, amniotic sac or placenta, which avoids the administration of substances at high doses to the mother for allowing their availability at the fetoplacental level. The results obtained in this area of research using large animals (rabbits, pigs and ruminants) have a dual interest, for translational biomedicine and for veterinary medicine and animal production.