The placenta is a temporary organ, which facilitates the exchange of nutrients, waste and gases between the maternal and fetal circulatory systems. To perform its role, the placenta is a villous structure, which branches to cover a large surface area. In gestational diabetes (GDM), a major complication that affects otherwise healthy pregnancies, the placenta displays aberrant vasculature, including altered vascularization, villous immaturity, and endothelial dysfunction. Several contributors including reactive oxygen species (ROS), advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and the dysregulation of key angiogenic factors have been attributed to vascular dysfunction in GDM.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.