This volume examines the role of steroids and peptides in the regulation of pregnancy and pregnancy outcome, and their long-term effects including possible influences on adult-onset diseases. During pregnancy the placenta acts as a central regulator and coordinator of maternal and fetal physiology, and the onset of labor, through its production and regulation of steroids and peptides. Perturbations to this regulatory system can result in poor pregnancy outcome, such as preterm birth and low birth weight. These in turn are linked to diseases in later life. Intriguingly, many of these regulatory actions of steroids and peptides also occur in the brain. The induction and suppression of peptides by steroids appears to be key to regulatory function in both brain and placenta. These interweaving strands, linking basic science with obstetrics, are all reviewed in depth here producing a fascinating account of an important area of materno-fetal medicine.
Introduction: Brain and Placenta: Birth and Behavior: Health and Disease Michael L. Power and Jay Schulkin; 1. Placental expression of neurohormones and other neuroactive molecules in human pregnancy Felice Petraglia, Pasquale Florio and Wylie W. Vale; 2. The regulation of human parturition Roger Smith, Sam Mesiano, Richard Nicholson, Vicki Clifton, Tamas Zakar, Eng-Cheng Chan, Andrew Bisits and Warwick Giles; 3. Maternal nutrition and metabolic control of pregnancy Michael L. Power and Suzette D. Tardif; 4. Fetal HPA activation, preterm birth and postnatal programming Deborah M. Sloboda, John R. G. Challis, Timothy J. M. Moss and John P. Newnham; 5. Prenatal glucocorticoids and the programming of adult disease Jonathan R. Seckl, Amanda J. Drake, Megan C. Holmes; 6. Prenatal stress and stress physiology influences human fetal and infant development Elysia Poggi Davis, Calvin J. Hobel, Curt A. Sandman, Laura Glynn and Pathik D. Wadhwa; 7. Glucocorticoid regulation of neuropeptide gene expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus Alan G. Watts; 8. Glucocorticoid facilitation of corticotropin-releasing hormone in the placenta and the brain: functional impact on birth and behavior Jay Schulkin, Louis Schmidt and Kristine Erickson.
