There is increasing realisation that human health status in adulthood depends critically upon environmental conditions pertaining around the time of conception and during pregnancy. Poor maternal diet or adverse environmental conditions around the periconception period somehow induces the resultant embryo to adapt predictively in order to survive this level of stress for the whole of its life. However, if there is a mismatch between expectation and reality, where the conditions during later life are better than expected, things go wrong and the adult suffers a range of illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and stroke. Understanding the molecular signals that direct the early embryo to adopt appropriate adaptations to suit its future life would be extremely valuable. However, although it appears to be an ideal task for proteomic applications, there are technical, ethical and practical limitations to what can be achieved with the current framework of proteomic technology. Here, we review what has been achieved to date, explain some of the experimental problems and suggest some strategies for taking this field forward.

BackgroundHemodynamic changes and respiratory tract complications are often followed by tracheal extubation. These events may be dangerous in neurosurgical patients and those with cardiovascular disease or at an old age.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to investigate the attenuation of cardiovascular responses and upper airway events resulting from tracheal extubation by low dose propofol.Materials and Methods80 patients with ASA physical status I, undergoing an elective surgery in a double blind manner received 0.5mg/kg propofol or normal saline 2 minutes before extubation. Heart rate and blood pressure and quality of tracheal extubation were recorded.ResultsHeart rate and blood pressure in patients receiving propofol were less than the control group (P < 0.05) at the time of injection of propofol, but there were no differences between the two groups at the time of extubation.ConclusionsWe concluded that propofol can reduce SBP, DBP, MAP, HR & cough production at the time of injection but there were no significant changes in these parameters after extubation.