Hypoxia and Reactive Oxygen Species in Fetal Cardiovascular Function

大多数人都知道氧气对生命是不可或缺的，但很少有人认为它是杀手。氧是促进生命还是威胁疾病取决于它的电子。安全氧有成对电子。然而，在缺氧或过度氧化过程中，电子可能变得不成对，产生不稳定的分子，称为活性氧（ROS）。过量生成活性氧或氧化应激会损害血管，导致心脏病、高血压和先兆子痫等疾病。然而，ROS和氧化应激是否影响未出生的孩子或未出生的动物的血管，无论是在健康还是在疾病中都是未知的。这是至关重要的，因为未出生的孩子和未出生的动物特别容易受到氧合变化的影响，因此，ROS的产生。在这里，我们提出缺氧对未出生婴儿和未出生动物心血管系统的一些影响是继发于ROS和氧化应激的产生。胎儿持续缺氧或慢性缺氧的不良后果是四肢血管剧烈收缩，促进生长迟缓和对发育中的心脏造成压力。我们将研究是否增加胎儿体内的抗氧化剂，包括维生素C等物质，会减少缺氧对血管的影响，甚至在出生前就防止心血管功能障碍的发展。

Most people know that oxygen is indispensable for life, but few see it as a killer. Whether oxygen promotes life or threatens disease is dependent on its electrons. Safe oxygen has paired electrons. However, during under- or over-oxygenation, electrons may become unpaired, creating unstable molecules known as reactive oxygen species (ROS). Excessive generation of ROS, or oxidative stress, damages blood vessels leading to conditions such as heart disease, hypertension and pre-eclampsia. However, whether ROS and oxidative stress affects the blood vessels of the unborn child or unborn animal is unknown either in health or disease. This is of paramount importance because the unborn child and unborn animal is particularly susceptible to changes in oxygenation and, hence, the generation of ROS. Here, we propose that a number of effects of hypoxia on the cardiovascular system of the unborn child and unborn animal are secondary to the generation of ROS and oxidative stress. Adverse consequences of sustained under-oxygenation or chronic hypoxia in the unborn are intense constriction of blood vessels in its limbs, which promotes growth retardation and a strain on the developing heart. We will investigate whether increasing antioxidants in the fetus, with substances such as vitamin C, will reduce the effects of hypoxia on its blood vessels, protecting against the development of cardiovascular malfunction, even prior to birth.