Abstract
Wang, Kimberley
PhD candidate, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia
Small babies, big hearts and cardiovascular disease in adult life
Low birth weight (LBW) babies are newborns weighing less than 2,500 grams, which occurred in 6% of Australian babies born in 2004. LBW is generally associated with poorer health outcomes, including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in adult life. With 67% of Australians touched by cardiovascular disease, studies involving LBW and its role in the development of cardiovascular disease are important. The insulin-like growth factor-2 receptor (IGF-2R) has being shown to be important to control heart growth before birth, however, the relationship between heart cell development and IGF-2R is not well-established in LBW babies.
Previously, we found LBW lambs have a greater left ventricular weight relative to body weight when compared to average birth weight (ABW) lambs. This phenotype has been widely accepted as the strongest predictor of cardiovascular disease. Our study has determined the differences of IGF-2R regulation in the heart of LBW lambs at 21 days when compared to ABW lambs. Our new data shows that there is indeed an up-regulated downstream protein of the IGF-2R signalling pathway in LBW lambs. This increased activation of the IGF-2R signalling pathway may be the reason why LBW individuals have increased vulnerability to cardiovascular disease in adult life.