Forhead, Alison - Oxford Brookes University - Department of Biological and Medical Sciences

研究领域

My research interests are in mammalian endocrinology and the endocrine regulation of physiology and development in the fetus. Currently, my research work is focussed on two main areas: Development and regulation of endocrine systems in the fetus These studies have examined the bioavailability of hormones in the fetus, in particular, the glucocorticoids, thyroid hormones, leptin, insulin-like growth factors and the renin-angiotensin system. Our analyses of hormone systems in utero have included measurements of circulating concentrations, tissue metabolism and metabolic enzymes, cellular uptake mechanisms and receptor expression. These studies have demonstrated complex interactions between endocrine systems before birth and have elucidated a variety of cellular and molecular mechanisms of developmental control. Endocrine control of fetal growth, development and maturation My research has also investigated the role of hormones in the regulation of normal fetal development. These studies have an integrative approach to systems animal biology by examining a wide variety of fetal tissues and organs, and aspects of fetal physiology, including growth, cardiovascular and renal function, nutrition and metabolism. In particular, several of these studies have established the importance of endocrine signals in fetal maturation near to delivery and in the successful transition from the intrauterine to extrauterine environment at birth. We have investigated the mechanisms of glucocorticoid action in several physiological systems, and demonstrated the important roles of other hormones, such as thyroid hormones and angiotensin II, in mediating many of the maturational effects of glucocorticoids. Overall, my research has an integrative approach to the study of mammalian endocrinology and systems animal physiology. The research findings have important implications for the understanding of normal fetal growth and development, the consequences of prematurity and fetal endocrine disorders, and the mechanisms underlying the intrauterine programming of adult (patho)physiology.

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Fowden AL & Forhead AJ (2012) Insulin deficiency alters the metabolic and endocrine responses to undernutrition in fetal sheep near term. Endocrinology 153: 4008-4018. Lanham SA, Fowden AL, Roberts C, Oreffo ROC, Cooper C & Forhead AJ (2011) Effects of hypothyroidism on the structure and mechanical properties of bone in the ovine fetus. Journal of Endocrinology 210: 189-198. Forhead AJ, Jellyman JK, Gillham K, Ward JW, Blache D & Fowden AL (2011) Renal growth retardation following angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonism is associated with increased AT2 receptor expression in fetal sheep during late gestation. Journal of Endocrinology 208: 137-145. Kempster SL, Belteki G, Forhead AJ, Fowden AL, Catalano RD, Lam BY, McFarlane I, Charnock-Jones DS & Smith GCS (2011) Developmental control of the Nlrp6 inflammasome and a substrate, IL-18, in mammalian intestine. American Journal of Physiology 300: G253-263. Belteki G, Kempster SL, Forhead AJ, Giussani DA, Fowden AL, Curley A, Charnock-Jones DS & Smith GCS (2010) Paraoxonase-3, a putative circulating antioxidant, is systemically up-regulated in late gestation in the fetal rat, sheep, and human. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 95: 3798-3805. Franko KL, Forhead AJ & Fowden AL (2010) Differential effects of prenatal stress and glucocorticoid administration on postnatal growth and glucose metabolism in rats. Journal of Endocrinology 204: 319-329. Forhead AJ, Cutts S, Matthews PA & Fowden AL (2009) Role of thyroid hormones in the developmental control of tissue glycogen in fetal sheep near term. Experimental Physiology 94: 1079-1087. Franko KL, Forhead AJ & Fowden AL (2009) Effects of maternal dietary manipulation during different periods of pregnancy on hepatic glucogenic capacity in fetal and pregnant rats near term. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases 19: 555-562. Forhead AJ, Lamb CA, Franko KL, O’Connor DM, Wooding FBP, Cripps RL, Ozanne S, Blache D, Shen QW, Du M & Fowden AL (2008) Role of leptin in the regulation of growth and carbohydrate metabolism in the ovine fetus during late gestation. Journal of Physiology586: 2393-2403.