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Early Origins of Adult Health

Laboratory Overview

The Early Origin of Adult Health Laboratory is situated on the 5th floor of the Basil Hetzel Building, Frome Road, Adelaide.

General Description of Research Interests
Our research is in the area of pregnancy and fetal development, with a focus on the fetal and early life origins of adult health and disease. Our research aim is to determine the mechanisms underlying the early programming of adult disease, with a focus on the impact of a poor environment during gestation and the role of the period before conception in determining cardiovascular and metabolic health in adult life.
During the past fifteen years, an important series of epidemiological studies have shown that low birth weight is associated with an increase in hypertension, insulin resistance, non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia in adult life. With the obesity epidemic, there is also an increase in large babies and these babies are at increased risk of metabolic syndrome in adult life. We use a range of models and analytical techniques to interrogate the physiological mechanisms that may be altered in utero and result in poor health in adult life.

Our current research can be classified into 3 broad areas:
Obesity / Metabolic Research
Periconceptional / Early Embryo Development
Oxygen Sensing and Cardiovascular Development before Birth

Personnel

Prof Caroline McMillen Laboratory Co-Head
  Pro Vice Chancellor Research & Innovation
  Co-Convenor Healthy Development Adelaide
  NGED member
  Affiliate Discipline Physiology, The University of Adelaide
Dr Janna Morrison Laboratory Co-Head
  Affiliate Discipline Physiology, The University of Adelaide
Dr Sheridan Gentili Lecturer
  Epigenetics and DNA Methylation Measurement Facility Co-Manager
Dr Beverley Mühlhäusler Peter Doherty Research Fellow
Mr Severence MacLaughlin Post Doc Fellow
Mr Andrew Snell PhD Student
Ms Olivia Wyss PhD Student
Ms Leewen Rattanatray PhD Student
Ms Kimberley Botting PhD Student
Ms Jayne Skinner Research Assistant
Mr Bernard Chuang Research Assistant
Mrs Melissa Walker Research Assistant
Mr Darran Tosh PhD Student
Ms Jaime Duffield PhD Student
Drs. Petra Bos PhD Student
Ms Christelle Ucinek Honours Student
Miss Shervi Li Honours Student
Mr Poh Soo Honours Student
Ms Healther Forbes Honours Student
Mr William Wang Honours Student

Honours and PhD Research Projects

Our research is focused on how experiences during pregnancy affect fetal and neonatal growth and development, the onset of adult diseases including cardiovascular disease, and the development of obesity and diabetes.
We currently have projects available which separately investigate the effects of maternal nutrition, in vitro reproductive technology and restricted fetal oxygen supply on the development of the placenta, the cardiovascular system, the sympathetic nervous system and the regulation of energy metabolism.
If you are interested in undertaking studies in any of these or related areas, contact either Prof Caroline McMillen, Dr Sheridan Gentili, Dr Beverley Muhlhausler or Mr Severence MacLaughlin.

Recent Publications (click on links for comprehensive list of Caroline McMillen’s and Janna Morrison’s publications)

1. Owens, J.A., et al., Sex-specific effects of placental restriction on components of the metabolic syndrome in young adult sheep. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 2007: p. 00706.2006.
2. Muhlhausler, B.S., J.A. Duffield, and I.C. McMillen, Increased maternal nutrition stimulates Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor-{gamma} (PPAR{gamma}), adiponectin and leptin mRNA expression in adipose tissue before birth. Endocrinology, 2007. 148(2): p. 878-885.
3. Muhlhausler, B.S., Programming of the Appetite-Regulating Neural Network: A Link Between Maternal Overnutrition and the Programming of Obesity? Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 2007. 19(1): p. 67-72.
4. Morrison, J.L., et al., Restriction of placental function alters heart development in the sheep fetus. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol, 2007: p. 00798.2006.
5. McMillen, I.C., et al., Developmental origins of adult health and disease: The role of periconceptional and fetual nutrition. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, 2007. Submitted for publication.
6. MacLaughlin, S.M., et al., Impact of periconceptional undernutrition on the adrenal growth and adrenal IGF and steroidogenic enzyme expression in the sheep fetus during early pregnancy. Endocrinology, 2007. 148(4): p. 1911-1920.
7. Hyatt, M., et al., Maternal nutrient restriction in early pregnancy programmes hepatic mRNA expression of growth hormone prolactin and insulin-like growth factor-II receptors hepatocyte growth factor Bax suppressor of cytokine signalling-3 and liver size in the adult male. Journal of Endocrinology, 2007. 192: p. 87-97.
8. Fletcher, C.J., et al., Somatic cell nuclear transfer in the sheep induces placental defects that likely precede fetal demise. Reproduction, 2007. 133(1): p. 243-255.
9. De Blasio, M.J., et al., Placental restriction of fetal growth increases insulin action, growth and adiposity in the young lamb. Endocrinology, 2007. 148(3): p. 1350-1358.
10. Spencer, T.N., et al., Contractile and Ca2+-handling properties of the right ventricular papillary muscle in the late-gestation sheep fetus. J Appl Physiol, 2006. 101(3): p. 728-733.
11. Muhlhausler, B.S., et al., Increased maternal nutrition alters development of appetite regulatory network in the brain The FASEB Journal, 2006. 20: p. E556-E565.
12. McMillen, I.C., et al., Regulation of leptin synthesis and secretion before birth: implication for the early programming of adult obesity. Reproduction, 2006. 131(3): p. 415-427.
13. MacLaughlin, S.M., et al., When in gestation do nutritional alterations exert their effects? A focus on the early origins of adult disease. Current Opinion in Endocrinology and Diabetes, 2006. 13: p. 516-522.
14. MacLaughlin, S.M. and I.C. McMillen, Impact of periconceptional undernutrition on the development of the Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal axis: Does the timing of parturition start at conception? Current Medicinal Chemistry, 2006. In Press.
15. Lipsett, J., et al., Restricted fetal growth and lung development: A morphometric analysis of pulmonary structure. Pediatric Pulmonology, 2006. 41(12): p. 1138-1145.
16. Gentili, S., M.J. Waters, and I.C. McMillen, Differential regulation of Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling-3 (SOCS-3) in the liver and adipose tissue of the sheep fetus in late gestation. American Journal of Physiology, 2006. 290: p. R1044-R1051.
17. Gentili, S., et al., Prolactin and the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS-3) in the sheep adrenal before birth. American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 2006. 291(5): p. R1399-R1405.
18. Farrand, K., et al., Subpopulations of corticotrophs in the sheep pituitary during late Endocrinology, 2006. 147(10): p. 4762-4771.
19. Williams, S.J., et al., Effects of maternal hypoxia or nutrient restriction during pregnancy on endothelial function in adult male rat offspring. Journal of Physiology, 2005. 565(1): p. 125-135.
20. Williams, S.J., et al., Differential effects of maternal hypoxia or nutrient restriction on carotid and femoral vascular function in neonatal rats. American Journal of Physiology, 2005. 288(2): p. R360-367.
21. Muhlhausler, B.S., et al., Impact of glucose infusion on the structural and functional characteristics of adipose tissue and on hypothalamic gene expression for appetite regulatory neuropeptides in the sheep fetus during late gestation. Journal of Physiology, 2005. 565(1): p. 185-195.
22. Morrison, J.L., et al., Maternal Fluoxetine Infusion Does Not Alter Fetal Endocrine and Biophysical Circadian Rhythms in Pregnant Sheep. Journal of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation, 2005. 12(5): p. 356.
23. Morrison, J.L., K.W. Riggs, and D.W. Rurak, Fluoxetine during pregnancy: impact on fetal development. Reproduction, Fertility and Development, 2005. 17(6): p. 641-650.
24. McMillen, I.C. and J.S. Robinson, Developmental origins of the metabolic syndrome: prediction, plasticity, and programming. Physiological Reviews, 2005. 85: p. 571-633.
25. McMillen, I.C., J.A. Duffield, and B.S. Muhlhausler, Prenatal programming of adult obesity, in Prenatal Programming, D. Hodgson and C. Coe, Editors. 2005, Taylor and Francis Medical Books: UK.
26. McMillen, I.C., C.L. Adam, and B.S. Muhlhausler, Early origins of obesity: programming the appetite regulatory system. Journal of Physiology, 2005. 565(1): p. 9-17.
27. MacLaughlin, S.M., et al., Periconceptional nutrition and the relationship between maternal body weight changes in the periconceptional period and feto-placental growth in the sheep. Journal of Physiology, 2005. 565(1): p. 111-124.
28. Edwards, L.J., et al., Impact of periconceptional nutrition on maternal and fetal leptin and fetal adiposity in singleton and twin pregnancies. American Journal of Physiology, 2005. 288(1): p. R39-45.
29. Danielson, L., et al., Restriction of placental growth results in greater hypotensive response to {alpha}-adrenergic blockade in fetal sheep during late gestation. Journal of Physiology, 2005. 563(2): p. 611-620.
 

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