University of Western Ontario, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Medical Biophysics, 70384London, ON, Canada.
J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2021 Apr;12(2):193-202. doi: 10.1017/S2040174420001154. Epub 2020 Dec 14.
Observing fetal development in utero is vital to further the understanding of later-life diseases. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers a tool for obtaining a wealth of information about fetal growth, development, and programming not previously available using other methods. This review provides an overview of MRI techniques used to investigate the metabolic and cardiovascular consequences of the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis. These methods add to the understanding of the developing fetus by examining fetal growth and organ development, adipose tissue and body composition, fetal oximetry, placental microstructure, diffusion, perfusion, flow, and metabolism. MRI assessment of fetal growth, organ development, metabolism, and the amount of fetal adipose tissue could give early indicators of abnormal fetal development. Noninvasive fetal oximetry can accurately measure placental and fetal oxygenation, which improves current knowledge on placental function. Additionally, measuring deficiencies in the placenta's transport of nutrients and oxygen is critical for optimizing treatment. Overall, the detailed structural and functional information provided by MRI is valuable in guiding future investigations of DOHaD.
观察宫内胎儿发育对于深入了解生命后期疾病至关重要。磁共振成像（MRI）提供了一种工具，可获取大量以前无法通过其他方法获得的有关胎儿生长、发育和编程的信息。本文综述了用于研究健康和疾病发育起源假说（DOHaD）的代谢和心血管后果的 MRI 技术。这些方法通过检查胎儿生长和器官发育、脂肪组织和身体成分、胎儿血氧饱和度、胎盘微观结构、扩散、灌注、流动和代谢，增加了对发育中胎儿的理解。MRI 评估胎儿生长、器官发育、代谢和胎儿脂肪组织的量可以提供异常胎儿发育的早期指标。非侵入性胎儿血氧饱和度可以准确测量胎盘和胎儿的氧合作用，从而提高对胎盘功能的现有认识。此外，测量胎盘在营养物质和氧气转运方面的缺陷对于优化治疗至关重要。总的来说，MRI 提供的详细结构和功能信息对于指导未来的 DOHaD 研究具有重要价值。
