Maternal nutrition as a key determinant of placental and developing blood-brain barrier xenobiotic protective functions - PubMed
5 hours ago
- #blood-brain barrier
- #maternal nutrition
- #placenta
- Maternal nutrition impacts the protective functions of the placenta and developing blood-brain barrier (BBB) against xenobiotics.
- Both undernutrition and overnutrition/obesity remodel placental morphology, impair barrier efficiency, and weaken efflux transporters like P-gp, BCRP, and MRP2.
- Nutritional imbalances dysregulate nutrient transporters (e.g., GLUT1, SNATs, LATs, FATP/CD36), increasing risks for adverse developmental programming.
- Maternal nutritional adversity is linked to increased BBB permeability, reduced efflux capacity, and compromised tight junction integrity.
- Micronutrients (e.g., copper, folate, iron, vitamins A, B12, D, zinc) are crucial regulators of BBB efflux transporter activity and junctional stability.
- Optimizing maternal diet before and during pregnancy can reinforce these barriers, safeguard the fetal brain, and improve long-term offspring health.