Placental vascular morphogenesis and oxidative stress

Abstract

The placenta is a hemochorial organ, meaning that it is directly bathed by maternal blood. Favorable fetal growth depends on optimal placental evolution and development, as it represents the interface between the maternal and fetal environments. The placenta plays a crucial role in fetal nutrition, respiration, and hormone synthesis. Vasculogenesis and angiogenesis are essential for normal placental development and effective maternal-fetal exchange. The onset of maternal circulation to the placenta is associated with a burst of oxidative stress (OS). This OS can serve at a physiological level to trigger pathways of differentiation in the regulation of villous remodeling, trophoblastic invasion, and production of angiogenic factors. In excess, however, OS can lead to the development of complications involving the placenta, such as fetal loss, preeclampsia, and intrauterine growth restriction.