Epigenetics and the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

This presentation will present the scientific bases of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept and epigenetics and their possible consequences for equine breeding. 

The historical observations by David Mc Cance in animals and subsequently David Barker  and Nick Hales in humans will be presented, that showed that maternal nutrition and fetal growth retardation leads to increased incidence of  metabolic diseases in adult offspring. This led to Barker's initial hypothesis that was confirmed through other epidemiological studies.
The molecular basis of the phenomenon, epigenetics, will be briefly outlined, and the critical periods of development, during which the conceptus is most sensitive to the environment, will be described using experimental examples. 

This presentation will provide the basis and relevance to the following presentation on nutritional management of the mare before and during pregnancy.