This book addresses the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), a new medical concept that demonstrates that various adult diseases start in the fetal period. It discusses our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of DOHaD, including gene body epigenetics and non-coding RNA, and comprehensively examines diseases such type 2 diabetes, a well known as standard DOHaD-associated disease, as well as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hypertension and neurodevelopmental disorders. It argues that most adult diseases start at a very early stage, such as in the fetal and neonatal periods, and that earlier prevention and intervention would result in better outcomes for adult diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiac disorders, which are increasing in both developed and developing countries. The book appeals to obstetricians and pediatricians, as well as physicians who treat adult patients, wanting to understand the origins of diseases.

Autorentext

Takeo Kubota

Faculty of Child Studies, Seitoku University, Chiba, Japan

Hideoki Fukuoka

Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

Inhalt

Part 1 Biological Basis.- One carbon metabolism and lipid metabolism in DOHaD.- Novel models of epigenetic gene regulation in the nutritional environment.- Epigenetic switching and neonatal nutritional environment.- Part 2 Disease and environment.- Developmental Origins of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).- Fetal origins of hypertension.- Involvement of noncoding RNAs in stress-related neuropsychiatric diseases caused by DOCaD theory.- Part 3 Transgenerational mechanism and its consequences.- Placental development and nutritional environment.- Risk of neurodevelopmental disease by paternal aging: a possible influence of epigenetic alteration in sperm.- Part 4 Clinical Significance.- Preemptive epigenetic medicine based on fetal programming.