-
Journal of Clinical Medicine Feb 2023This study aimed to examine the sexual dimorphism effect of two-generation exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD) on the craniofacial growth of rat offspring. Ten...
This study aimed to examine the sexual dimorphism effect of two-generation exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD) on the craniofacial growth of rat offspring. Ten eleven-week-old pregnant Wistar rats were fed either a control or HFD from day 7 of pregnancy until the end of lactation. Twelve male and female offspring from the control-diet-fed mothers were assigned to the CM (control male, n = 6) and CF (control female, n = 6) groups. The other twelve from the HFD-fed mothers were assigned to the HFD male (HFDM, n = 6) and HFD female (HFDF, n = 6) groups. HFDM and HFDF rats continued with an HFD. The offspring's weight and fasting blood sugar levels were measured every two weeks. The craniofacial and dental morphologies were studied from lateral X-rays of the head at ten weeks old. The HFDM rats showed an increased body weight and larger neurocranial parameters compared with the CM group. Furthermore, there were slightly significant differences in body weight and viscerocranial parameters between the rats in the HFDF and CF groups. In conclusion, two-generational exposure to an HFD had a greater effect on the male offspring's body weight and craniofacial morphology.
PubMed: 36902691
DOI: 10.3390/jcm12051903 -
Frontiers in Genetics 2019Little is known about effects of paternal tobacco smoke (PTS) on the offspring's asthma and its prenatal epigenetic programming. To investigate whether PTS exposure...
Little is known about effects of paternal tobacco smoke (PTS) on the offspring's asthma and its prenatal epigenetic programming. To investigate whether PTS exposure was associated with the offspring's asthma and correlated to epigenetic CG methylation of potential tobacco-related immune genes: or/and genes. In a birth cohort of 1,629 newborns, we measured exposure rates of PTS (23%) and maternal tobacco smoke (MTS, 0.2%), cord blood DNA methylation, infant respiratory tract infection, childhood DNA methylation, and childhood allergic diseases. Infants with prenatal PTS exposure had a significantly higher risk of asthma by the age of 6 than those without ( = 0.026). The PTS exposure doses at 0, <20, and ≧20 cigarettes per day were significantly associated with the trend of childhood asthma and the increase of ( = 0.006), and ( = 0.008) methylation. The combination of higher CG methylation levels of , and corresponded to the highest risk of asthma by 43.48%, compared to other combinations (16.67-23.08%) in the 3-way multi-factor dimensionality reduction (MDR) analysis. The and CG methylation levels at age 0 were significantly correlated to those at age of 6. Prenatal PTS exposure increases CG methylation contents of immune genes, such as and , which significantly retained from newborn stage to 6 years of age and correlated to development of childhood asthma. Modulation of the and CG methylation and/or their gene expression may provide a regimen for early prevention of PTS-associated childhood asthma. 1.10 Asthma Mediators. : It has been better known that maternal tobacco smoke (MTS) has an impact on the offspring's asthma epigenetic modification. Little is known about effects of paternal tobacco smoke (PTS) on the offspring's asthma and its prenatal epigenetic programming. : Prenatal tobacco smoke (PTS) can program epigenetic modifications in certain genes, such as and , and that these modifications are correlated to childhood asthma development. The higher the PTS exposure dose the higher the CG methylation levels are found. The combination of higher CG methylation levels of and corresponded to the highest risk of asthma. Measuring the DNA methylation levels of certain genes might help to predict high-risk populations for childhood asthma and provide a potential target to prevent the development of childhood asthma.
PubMed: 31214241
DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00471 -
Journal of Clinical Lipidology 2020We have previously shown that the effect of a high-density lipoprotein (HDL) genetic risk score depends on whether the phenotype (HDL cholesterol) is high or low...
BACKGROUND
We have previously shown that the effect of a high-density lipoprotein (HDL) genetic risk score depends on whether the phenotype (HDL cholesterol) is high or low relative to its distribution (quantile-dependent expressivity).
OBJECTIVE
Evidence for quantile-dependent expressivity was sought using a more inclusive genetic measure (quantile-specific heritability, h) in a larger population (Framingham cohort).
METHODS
Quantile regression was used to test whether the offspring-parent (β) and full-sib (β) regression slopes increased with the percentiles of the offspring's HDL distribution in 10,650 parent-offspring pairs and 2130 sibships. Quantile-specific heritability was estimated by 2β/(1 + r) and [(8βr + 1)-1]/(2r), where r is the spouse correlation.
RESULTS
HDL cholesterol heritability estimated from β increased significantly (P = 4.2 × 10) from the 10 (h ± SE: 0.44 ± 0.03), 25 (0.45 ± 0.03), 50 (0.47 ± 0.03), and 75 (0.56 ± 0.04) to the 90 percentiles (0.65 ± 0.06) of the offspring's age- and sex-adjusted HDL cholesterol distribution. Heritability estimated from β also increased significantly with the percentiles of the offspring's HDL cholesterol (P = .002), apo A1 (P = .006), HDL2 cholesterol (P = .003), and HDL3 cholesterol distribution (P = .02). Consistent with quantile-dependent expressivity, published pharmacologic and nutritional interventions that raised (eg, statin, fibrates, estrogen replacement therapy, efavirenz, and dietary fat) or lowered HDL cholesterol concentrations (tamoxifen, dietary carbohydrate) correspondingly increased and decreased genetic effects.
CONCLUSION
HDL cholesterol heritability increased with increasing percentile of the offspring's HDL distribution. Whereas precision medicine is based on the premise that genetic markers identify patients most likely to benefit from drugs and diet, quantile-dependent expressivity postulates that the strong signals from these genetic markers simply trace the heritability increase with increasing plasma HDL concentrations. Thus, quantile-dependent expressivity provides an alternative interpretation to these genotype-specific effects.
Topics: Adult; Cohort Studies; Female; Humans; Inheritance Patterns; Lipoproteins, HDL; Male; Middle Aged; Precision Medicine; Regression Analysis
PubMed: 32600822
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacl.2020.05.099 -
Current Issues in Molecular Biology May 2024Alterations in a mother's metabolism and endocrine system, due to unbalanced nutrition, may increase the risk of both metabolic and non-metabolic disorders in the... (Review)
Review
Alterations in a mother's metabolism and endocrine system, due to unbalanced nutrition, may increase the risk of both metabolic and non-metabolic disorders in the offspring's childhood and adulthood. The risk of obesity in the offspring can be determined by the interplay between maternal nutrition and lifestyle, intrauterine environment, epigenetic modifications, and early postnatal factors. Several studies have indicated that the fetal bowel begins to colonize before birth and that, during birth and nursing, the gut microbiota continues to change. The mother's gut microbiota is primarily transferred to the fetus through maternal nutrition and the environment. In this way, it is able to impact the establishment of the early fetal and neonatal microbiome, resulting in epigenetic signatures that can possibly predispose the offspring to the development of obesity in later life. However, antioxidants and exercise in the mother have been shown to improve the offspring's metabolism, with improvements in leptin, triglycerides, adiponectin, and insulin resistance, as well as in the fetal birth weight through epigenetic mechanisms. Therefore, in this extensive literature review, we aimed to investigate the relationship between maternal diet, epigenetics, and gut microbiota in order to expand on current knowledge and identify novel potential preventative strategies for lowering the risk of obesity in children and adults.
PubMed: 38785533
DOI: 10.3390/cimb46050265 -
PloS One 2022Maternal aging has negative influences on the development and racing performance of their offspring in racehorses. However, the mechanism by which pregnancy at old age...
Maternal aging has negative influences on the development and racing performance of their offspring in racehorses. However, the mechanism by which pregnancy at old age reduces the race performance of the offspring is unknown. Here, two hypotheses were posited: 1) Foals born to older mares are more likely to have muscular, skeletal, and cognitive disadvantages (direct effects). 2) Foals born to older mares are more likely to be affected by non-physiological factors correlating with the mare's age, such as the quality of sires (e.g. low-quality sires are likely to be chosen as partners of older broodmares). To test these hypotheses, the effect of the broodmare's age on the offspring's racing performance was examined, while controlling for the effects of the stallion's quality, age, and ID, offspring's sex, trainer, and the location of the training center. Information of racehorses registered to the Japan Racing Association were collected from the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association website. Overall, results showed that the racing performance of horses born from older mares was lower than that of horses born from younger mares. However, generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) indicated that the quality of sires was significantly associated with the offspring's racing performance, rather than the broodmare's age itself. Furthermore, the age of broodmares was negatively correlated with the quality of sires, although the variance inflation factor was low. Therefore, the effect of maternal aging was negligible or only limited, and rather, the sire's quality had an important influence on the offspring's racing performance. Low quality sires, or cheap stallions in other words, are likely to be chosen as partners of older blood-mares, which may have reproductive risks such as lower fertility and higher rate of miscarriages. The present study suggests that the conventional belief that racehorses born from older mares show lower performance may not always be accurate.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Female; Fertility; Horses; Japan; Male; Pregnancy
PubMed: 35862341
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271535 -
The British Journal of Nutrition Sep 2020Maternal diet during pregnancy can influence fetal growth; however, the available evidence is controversial. We aimed to assess whether maternal diet of Japanese women...
Maternal diet during pregnancy can influence fetal growth; however, the available evidence is controversial. We aimed to assess whether maternal diet of Japanese women in mid-pregnancy can affect their offspring's birth size via collection of questionnaire and medical record data. The studied sample was a large cohort of paired mothers and their singleton offspring (n 78 793) from fifteen areas all over Japan who participated in the Japan Environment and Children's Study. The mid-pregnancy intakes of total energy, macronutrients and vitamins were lower than the recommended intakes for pregnant Japanese women. Maternal total energy intake was positively associated with the offspring's birth weight; there was a 10-g mean difference in the offspring's birth weight of mothers in the lowest (3026 g) v. highest (3036 g) quartiles of energy intake. Carbohydrate intake was positively associated with the offspring's birth length (mean difference of 0·7 cm) and inversely associated with the ponderal index (mean difference of 0·8 g/cm3). Offspring of mothers in the highest v. lowest quartiles of total dietary fibre intake were on average 9 g heavier and had 0·3 cm longer birth length and 0·2 cm longer head circumference. The highest in reference to lowest intake quartile of vitamin C was associated with 13 g and 0·7 cm mean differences in the offspring's birth weight and length, respectively. Several other associations were evident for maternal intakes of vitamins and the offspring's birth size. In conclusion, maternal dietary intakes of energy, dietary fibre, carbohydrate and vitamins during pregnancy were associated with the offspring's birth size.
Topics: Adult; Birth Weight; Cohort Studies; Diet; Energy Intake; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Japan; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Nutrients; Nutritional Status; Pregnancy; Vitamins
PubMed: 32312335
DOI: 10.1017/S0007114520001397 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2020The prevalence of MS among children and adolescents continues to rise, which has become an escalating serious health issue worldwide. It had been reported that maternal...
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of MS among children and adolescents continues to rise, which has become an escalating serious health issue worldwide. It had been reported that maternal current lifestyle had a strong independent correlation with offspring health. However, it is not clear whether comprehensive lifestyle of mother has an impact on the MS risk in offspring and the role of offspring's lifestyle in it.
METHODS AND RESULTS
We included 4,837 mother-child pairs from a multi-centered cross-sectional study conducted in China. The information of maternal lifestyle was obtained by self-reported questionnaire, and metabolic syndrome (MS) in offspring was determined by anthropometric measurements and blood tests. Logistic regression models were employed to evaluate the association between maternal lifestyle and risk of MS in offspring. We found maternal healthy lifestyle was independently associated with lower risk of offspring MS, and the risk of MS in offspring decreased with the increased number of maternal ideal lifestyle factors. Although adolescents' lifestyle did not fully explain the relationship between maternal lifestyle and risk of offspring MS, compared with those had less ideal lifestyle factors in both mothers and offspring, the risk of offspring MS was lower in those had more ideal lifestyle factors in both mothers and adolescents.
CONCLUSIONS
Healthy lifestyle in mothers was associated with a lower risk of MS in offspring, which was independent of offspring's lifestyle. These findings support mother-based lifestyle intervention could be an effective strategy to reduce the MS risk in adolescents.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Child; China; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Healthy Lifestyle; Humans; Life Style; Male; Maternal Behavior; Metabolic Syndrome; Risk Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 33381082
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.552054 -
Nutrients Jul 2021There is growing evidence that bone health may be programmed in the first years of life. Factors during the prenatal period, especially maternal nutrition, may have an... (Review)
Review
Maternal Diet, Nutritional Status, and Birth-Related Factors Influencing Offspring's Bone Mineral Density: A Narrative Review of Observational, Cohort, and Randomized Controlled Trials.
There is growing evidence that bone health may be programmed in the first years of life. Factors during the prenatal period, especially maternal nutrition, may have an influence on offspring's skeletal development and thus the risk of osteoporosis in further life, which is an increasing societal, health and economic burden. However, it is still inconclusive which early life factors are the most important and to what extent they may affect bone health. We searched through three databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library) and after eligibility criteria were met, the results of 49 articles were analyzed. This narrative review is an overall summary of up-to-date studies on maternal diet, nutritional status, and birth-related factors that may affect offspring bone development, particularly bone mineral density (BMD). Maternal vitamin D status and diet in pregnancy, anthropometry and birth weight seem to influence BMD, however other factors such as subsequent growth may mediate these associations. Due to the ambiguity of the results in the analyzed studies, future, well-designed studies are needed to address the limitations of the present study.
Topics: Adult; Birth Weight; Bone Density; Bone Development; Child; Child, Preschool; Cohort Studies; Diet; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Maternal Exposure; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Nutritional Status; Observational Studies as Topic; Osteoporosis; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 34371812
DOI: 10.3390/nu13072302 -
Maternal & Child Nutrition Apr 2018Emerging evidence suggests that maternal prepregnancy body mass index or weight (MPBW) may be associated with offspring's blood pressure (BP). Therefore, we conducted a...
Emerging evidence suggests that maternal prepregnancy body mass index or weight (MPBW) may be associated with offspring's blood pressure (BP). Therefore, we conducted a systematic review-following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses statement-to assess and judge the evidence for an association between MPBW with offspring's later BP. Five data bases were searched without limits. Risk of bias was assessed using the "Tool to Assess Risk of Bias in Cohort Studies," and an evidence grade was allocated following the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Of 2,011 publications retrieved, 16 studies (all cohort studies) were included in the systematic review; thereof, 5 studies (31%) were rated as good-quality studies. Overall, data from 63,959 participants were enclosed. Systolic BP was analysed in 15 (5 good quality), diastolic BP in 12 (3 good quality), and mean arterial pressure in 3 (no good quality) studies. Five good-quality studies of MPBW with offspring's systolic BP as the outcome and 1 good-quality study with offspring's diastolic BP as the outcome observed a significant association. However, after adding offspring's anthropometry variables to the statistical model, the effect attenuated in 4 studies with systolic BP to nonsignificance, the study with diastolic BP remained significant. No good-quality studies were found with respect to offspring's later mean arterial pressure. In conclusion, this systematic review found suggestive, but still limited, evidence for an association between MPBW with offspring's later BP. The available data suggest that the effect might be mainly mediated via offspring's anthropometry.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Blood Pressure; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Mothers; Young Adult
PubMed: 29171150
DOI: 10.1111/mcn.12561 -
Journal of Musculoskeletal & Neuronal... Jun 2021To describe the effects of strength exercise practice during pregnancy on the offspring's development parameters: growth and motor performance, hippocampal...
OBJECTIVE
To describe the effects of strength exercise practice during pregnancy on the offspring's development parameters: growth and motor performance, hippocampal neuroplasticity, and stress levels.
METHODS
Pregnant Wistar rats were divided into two groups: sedentary and exercised rats. Exercised pregnant rats were subjected to a strength training protocol (vertical ladder climbing) throughout the gestational period. Male offspring's body weight, length, and head size were evaluated during the neonatal period (postnatal days [P]2-P21), as well as motor milestones during P0-P8. At P8, a set of male pups were subjected to global hippocampal DNA methylation, hippocampal cell proliferation, and plasma corticosterone concentration.
RESULTS
Offspring from trained mothers presented a transient change in body morphometric evaluations, no differences in milestone assessments, enhancement of cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, and decreased global hippocampal DNA methylation compared with the offspring from sedentary mothers. Furthermore, strength training during pregnancy did not change the corticosterone concentration of exercised mothers and their offspring.
CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate that strength training can protect offspring's development and could impact positively on parameters linked to cognitive function. This study provides a greater understanding of the effects of strength exercise practiced during pregnancy on the offspring's health.
Topics: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Corticosterone; Female; Hippocampus; Humans; Male; Pregnancy; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Resistance Training
PubMed: 34059573
DOI: No ID Found