Eileen Chang, PhD to present seminar entitled “Mitochondrial respiration in the intrauterine growth-restricted fetal sheep heart.

 Eileen I. Chang, Ph.D., M.C.R.

Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neonatology

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

 

Mitochondrial respiration in the intrauterine growth-restricted fetal sheep heart”.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) commonly occurs with placental insufficiency, where nutrients and oxygen from the mother become inadequate to meet fetal growth demands. IUGR affects up to 10% of all pregnancies worldwide, making it a common and costly problem. In addition, IUGR fetuses are at increased risk for developing cardiovascular diseases and heart failure in adulthood. We and others found that compared to normal growing fetuses, late gestation IUGR fetal sheep have fewer binucleated cardiomyocytes reflecting a more immature heart. Since mitochondria are the main supplier of energy for the heart, we propose that having a more immature heart may reduce mitochondrial capacity to oxidize substrates through beta-oxidation. We used a well-established sheep model of fetal growth restriction to study the capacity of the mitochondria in the heart to produce energy using either carbohydrate or lipid substrates by measuring how much oxygen was consumed.

Friday, February 9, 2024, 11:00AM-12:00PM, LIB-110

University of North Texas Health Science Center

Fort Worth, Texas