When the placenta doesn’t work properly to transfer nutrients and oxygen from the mother to the fetus, it causes the fetus to grow slowly and changes development of the fetal tissues. It is known that skeletal muscle development is impaired, but the impact on capillary growth is unknown.
Our collaborators tested the hypothesis that placental dysfunction impairs capillary growth in fetal skeletal muscle. We used a sheep model of placental insufficiency induced by chronic maternal heat stress. Muscles from growth-restricted fetuses were thinner, had fewer slow-twitch oxidative fibers, and had decreased capillary density compared to controls.
These findings show how placental dysfunction affects fetal skeletal muscle development via impaired angiogenesis.