Neuroendocrine Programming Mechanism of Fetal-Originated Disease

Physiological development is dependent on multiple neuroendocrine axes, such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, growth hormone/insulinlike growth factor 1 axis, hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, and renin-angiotensin system, to adapt to environmental changes and maintain homeostasis. However, increasing clinical and animal studies suggest that prenatal adverse environments can adversely affect multiple neuroendocrine axes in fetuses, which are closely associated with postnatal developmental programming, homeostasis disturbance, and susceptibility to diseases in adults. Among various hypotheses of fetal-originated disease, the programming change in intrauterine neuroendocrine development is currently well recognized. This chapter summarizes the developmental programming changes and the functional interaction of neuroendocrine axes and the relationships between neuroendocrine axes and the occurrence and development of fetal-originated disease.