Abstract: Hippocampus is a remarkable brain structure playing important roles in advanced neuronal activities including cognitive function and memory, of which the structural and functional alterations are closely associated with behavioral abnormalities, neurological diseases and psychiatric disorders. Hippocampal development is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, among which changes of the intrauterine environment from the maternal and external factors exert huge influences on the structure and function of both fetal and infant hippocampus. The molecular mechanisms include variations in the expression levels of genes associated with hippocampal metabolism and neurogenesis such as BDNF, GR, IGF-1 and IGF-2, as well as alterations of signaling transduction in the hippocampus. This review attempts to summarize the changes of structure and function as well as the molecular mechanisms in fetal nervous system, especially in the hippocampus induced by the alterations of intrauterine environment such as prenatal stress, maternal chronic diseases and uteroplacental insufficiency during pregnancy.

Key words: Uterus, Intrauterine environment, Hippocampus, Embryonic development, Genetics, medical, Epigenetics, Gene expression