Book contents
- Hormones and Pregnancy
- Hormones and Pregnancy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Section I Hormones in the Physiology and Pharmacology of Pregnancy
- Chapter 1 The Neuroendocrinology of Pregnancy
- Chapter 2 The Placenta as an Endocrine Organ/Placental Endocrinology
- Chapter 3 The Role of Oxytocin in Pregnancy
- Chapter 4 The Role of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Pregnancy
- Chapter 5 The Role of Estrogens in Pregnancy
- Chapter 6 The Role of Progesterone in Pregnancy
- Chapter 7 Hormones and Cardiovascular Systems in Pregnancy
- Section II Hormones and Gestational Disorders
- Index
- References
Chapter 2 - The Placenta as an Endocrine Organ/Placental Endocrinology
from Section I - Hormones in the Physiology and Pharmacology of Pregnancy
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 November 2022
- Hormones and Pregnancy
- Hormones and Pregnancy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Section I Hormones in the Physiology and Pharmacology of Pregnancy
- Chapter 1 The Neuroendocrinology of Pregnancy
- Chapter 2 The Placenta as an Endocrine Organ/Placental Endocrinology
- Chapter 3 The Role of Oxytocin in Pregnancy
- Chapter 4 The Role of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Pregnancy
- Chapter 5 The Role of Estrogens in Pregnancy
- Chapter 6 The Role of Progesterone in Pregnancy
- Chapter 7 Hormones and Cardiovascular Systems in Pregnancy
- Section II Hormones and Gestational Disorders
- Index
- References
Summary
The placenta forms from the trophectoderm of the blastocyst. The demethylation of the sperm and ovum DNA allows the de-repression of endogenous viral DNA elements and the transcription of the viral coat proteins syncytin 1 and 2. The syncytins cause the fusion of cytotrophoblast cells to form the key hormone producing layer of syncytiotrophoblast. Unlike other endocrine organs the syncytiotrophoblast secretes its steroid and peptide hormones continuously rather than in response to acute stimuli. As the placenta follows its maturational trajectory its production of hormones changes. Placental hormones act to facilitate implantation and to maintain pregnancy, to mobilize maternal nutrients to enable fetal growth, to promote the growth of the uterus, to stimulate breast development and lactogenesis, to orchestrate the onset of labor, and likely to alter maternal behavior before and after delivery to enhance the survival prospects of the fetus.
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- Hormones and PregnancyBasic Science and Clinical Implications, pp. 13 - 19Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022