AMPK as Target for Intervention in Childhood and Adolescent Obesity

Figure 3

The intrauterine life is very delicate balance between fetal growth and placental transport capacity which depends on the mother’s vascular capacity. If the placenta is not fully developed (anomalous insertion, second wave invasion incomplete, or other maternal morbidity like long-term diabetes, hypertension or other related disease with vasculopathy), decreased blood flow through the umbilical cord will generate several survival responses in the fetus, all with the aim of reaching a viable weight and enough lung maturation to survive outside the womb. The mechanisms are energy-savers and try to protect the brain from damage. This metabolically induced imprinting lasts very well into adulthood, being the key feature in the development of chronic diseases like Obesity, Type 2 diabetes, Stroke, Cardiovascular disease, among others.