Angiogenesis in the Placenta: The Role of Reactive Oxygen Species Signaling

Figure 2

Summary of proposed mechanisms linking maternal smoking, maternal obesity, and preeclampsia with pregnancy complications and adverse fetal outcomes. It is well documented that both the placental vasculature and the state of oxidative stress are altered in pregnancies complicated by maternal smoking, maternal obesity, and preeclampsia (see text). These alterations in the placental vascular network are known to contribute to placental dysfunction and adverse pregnancy outcomes as well as abnormal fetal growth, development, and even death. We hypothesize that an increase in oxidative stress contributes to aberrant signaling in placenta, resulting in changes in processes essential for placental vascular development. This could be a potential mechanism leading to the adverse pregnancy outcomes observed in maternal smoking, maternal obesity, and preeclampsia. The solid arrows represent well documented findings, while the dashed arrow identifies the knowledge gap where more research needs to be done, to clarify the role of oxidative stress in placental angiogenesis.