title: Review: Endocrine regulation of placental phenotype.
abstract: Hormones have an important role in regulating fetal development. They act as environmental signals and integrate tissue growth and differentiation with relation to nutrient availability. While hormones control the developmental fate of resources available to the fetus, the actual supply of nutrients and oxygen to the fetus depends on the placenta. However, much less is known about the role of hormones in regulating placental development, even though the placenta has a wide range of hormone receptors and produces hormones itself from early in gestation. The placenta is, therefore, exposed to hormones by autocrine, paracrine and endocrine mechanisms throughout its lifespan. It is known to adapt its phenotype in response to environmental cues and fetal demand signals, particularly when there is a disparity between the fetal genetic drive for growth and the nutrient supply. These adaptive responses help to maintain fetal growth during adverse conditions and are likely to depend, at least in part, on the hormonal milieu. This review examines the endocrine regulation of placental phenotype with particular emphasis on the glucocorticoid hormones. It focuses on the availability of placental hormone receptors and on the effects of hormones on the morphology, transport capacity and endocrine function of the placenta.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK. Electronic address: alf1000@cam.ac.uk.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Fowden
authors.affiliation: Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK; Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Forhead
authors.affiliation: Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Sferruzzi-Perri
authors.affiliation: Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.affiliation: Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK.
authors.forename: O R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Vaughan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects; D006728:Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000187:drug effects; D010641:Phenotype; D010920:Placenta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010926:Placental Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D010929:Placentation / Q000187:drug effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D010926:Placental Hormones; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear
keywords: Hormones; Placental phenotype; Transport