Fetal Programming in Maternal Obesity Original Article Philma Glora Muthuraj, Sathish Kumar Natarajan* Crossmark Doi: Diabesity.2020.71 ABSTRACT

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Fetal Programming in Maternal Obesity Original Article Philma Glora Muthuraj, Sathish Kumar Natarajan* Crossmark Doi: Diabesity.2020.71 ABSTRACT ORIGINAL ARTICLE Diabesity 2020, Volume 6, Number 4: 36-39 Fetal Programming in Maternal Obesity Original Article Philma Glora Muthuraj, Sathish Kumar Natarajan* CrossMark Doi: diabesity.2020.71 ABSTRACT The nutritional status of the pregnant mother has a significant effect such as heart, liver, immune system, and digestive system. Critical Volume No.: 6 on the developing fetus which could be reflected as different forms of developmental processes can be affected in fetal organs that could metabolic disorders in their postnatal life know as fetal programming. compromise their efficient function during post-natal life. Overall, Recently obesity has became an epidemic and obese pregnant mothers obese mothers are not only at risk of developing metabolic disorders Issue: 4 have been shown to develop an adverse in utero environment as a on their own but also lead to deteriorating effects in the form of consequence of chronic low-grade inflammation. This can have an metabolic disorders even in their progeny at later parts of their lives. significant impact on several organs including the placenta which This again reiterates the fact that the health status of the parents is connects the mother and the developing vital organs of the fetus equally important for the wellbeing of their children too. First page No.: 36 Key words: in utero, placenta, micro RNAs, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, liver RH_Author: XXX *Correspondence to: Introduction to fetal programming in exhibited adverse placental pathology and had Sathish Kumar Natarajan, PhD, maternal obesity frequent stillbirths.8 Similarly, maternal obesity in Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Insufficient nutrition of the mother causes humans showed increased levels of lipids accumu- University of Nebraska-Lincoln; improper growth of the fetus in utero and leads to lated in the placenta and results in dysregulation of Lincoln, NE metabolic syndromes in later stages of life referred angiogenesis and also express an pro- inflammatory [email protected] to as “the thrifty phenotype hypothesis”.1 Similarly, phenotype and oxidative stress.9 Further, obese over-nutrition or obesity in the mother can impact mothers are more prone to develop gestational Cite This Article: Muthuraj, P.G., the development of the fetus in the womb, leading diabetes, gestational hypertension and, pre-eclamp- Natarajan, S.K. 2020. Fetal to increased risks of developing complications as sia, all of this tend to disturb the normal growth Programming in Maternal Obesity. the age of offspring advances. Fetal programming and physiology of the fetus.10 Further, unfavorable Diabesity 6(3): 36-39. DOI: occurs in an unfavorable in utero environment perinatal and postnatal outcomes such as fetal 10.15562/diabesity.2020.71 especially affecting critical stages of development macrosomia, delivery through cesarean section, and can have a permanent effect that becomes and babies maintained in intensive care units are more noticeable phenotypically during adulthood more noticeable with pregnant mothers experienc- especially in terms of metabolic health.2 Childrens ing unwanted weight gain during gestational time of obese mothers are more likely to become obese period.11 and this leads to further adverse effects on the offspring’s metabolic health during adulthood.3-5 Increased Cardiovascular risks in offsprings Obesity is also known to have multigenerational born to obese mothers effects wherein studies show that obese grandpar- The obese maternal environment can also cause ents tend to have obese grandchildren.6,7 untoward effects on the development of fetal heart which leads to various negative cardiovas- Placental pathology and other cular outcomes or complications in their later complications in obese mothers and its stages of life. In a Finnish epidemiological study, consequences male offspring born to heavier mothers during a The placenta is an important organ that bridges the period of better nutrition that followed a period gap between the mother and the developing fetus of insufficient food supply developed cardiovascu- by supplying oxygen and nutrients. Besides this, lar problems in later stages of life.12 In a C57BL/6 there are several signaling pathways through which mice study, offsprings of high fat diet-induced the mother and fetus communicate with each other. obese female mice were fed with chow diet after Maternal obesity cause placental insufficiency as weaning and were assessed for their cardiomyocyte well as an inflammatory placental environment development (3-12 weeks of age). Up to 8 weeks of which affect the developing fetus. A recent study age, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and expression of using macaques with high-fat diet and obese dams cardiac fetal genes were observed and indicating Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Lincoln, NE 36 Diabesity 2020; 6(4): 36-39. doi: 10.15562/diabesity.2020.71 www.diabesity.ejournals.ca Fetal Programming in Maternal Obesity Sathish Kumar Natarajan, et al. adverse cardiac pathology. At 12 weeks of age even complex interactions among maternal obesity, though there was no evidence of cardiac muscle obesogenic diet after weaning and dysregulation of hypertrophy, however the authors observed systolic circadian genes in the liver. These complex inter- and diastolic dysfunction and upregulation of β1 actions result in dysregulated pathways involv- adrenergic receptors, which are the characteristic ing liver pro-inflammatory fibrogenic mediators features of early cardiac failure.13 This study again leading to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and re-iterated the fact that in utero growth environ- further potential increased risk of complications ment affects the metabolic health of an individual such as hepatocellular adenocarcinoma at later even with optimum intake of nutrients after birth. stages life in the offsprings.21 It is well known that In a study with fetuses from high-fat diet-fed the gut microbiome is involved in homeostasis and baboons, enhanced collagen deposition was seen regulation of nutrients and the perturbance of gut in the heart and there was dysregulation in the microbial composition is associated with obesity. cardiac microRNA expression (miR-133a, -197, A study based on the analysis of stool samples of miR-30a, miR-499, and miR-451) patterns which babies at 1 and 6 months of age showed that there contributed to cardiac pathology and abnormalities was an increased concentration of bacteria which in the fetuses.14 A study in Amsterdam childrens, promotes pro-inflammatory in nature rather than associated higher pre-pregnancy BMI of mothers protective microflora, in babies from obese moms showed increased blood pressure in their children and again this reinstates the fact that offsprings aged 5-6.15 Similarly, children born to mothers are influenced by maternal environment even after who had obese BMI during pregnancy developed birth.22 Studies with mice show that high fat diet cardiovascular disorder during later part of their fed dams or dams with transplanted gut microbiota lives and also had a life span below average.16 from high fat diet fed mice tend to influence the gut microbial composition of the male pups more Obese mothers and the incidence of significantly than female littermates.20,23 Further, diabestes to their offsprings western diet results in epigenetic modifications in Obesity is always associated with adverse meta- the children, and a reduction in the methylation bolic health patterns, similarly, the obese maternal levels in the blood samples were observed in babies environment programs the fetus towards meta- born to obese women and some of these methyla- bolic syndrome during adolescence or adulthood. tion patterns were even reproducible at adolescence A Scottish epidemiological study (1950-2011) stage.24 In summary, maternal obesity affects fetal demonstrated that increased incidence of mater- gut microbiome and liver health through epigene- nal obesity incidence during the period of study. tic mechanisms and increases the risk of metabolic Further, they also showed a significant association disease in offspring in their latter part of life. between incidence of type I and type II diabetes in offsprings born to obese mothers.17 In a study Maternal adiposity affects the health of the using rodents, researchers found that pregnant progeny in a multifaceted manner from rats subjected to a high-fat diet, had reduced behavioral aspects to immune responses expression of adiponectin receptors in the litters There is also compelling evidence that cognitive and and, this affected the overall insulin sensitivity psychological disorders are highly prevalent among and, ultimately disrupted the metabolic health of children from obese women.25 An Australian study offsprings.18 Likewise, offsprings born to pregnant performed with mothers and children using the mice with an obesogenic diet had disrupted endo- Child Behavior Checklist during the age of 5, 8, 10, plasmic reticulum homeostasis as well as apoptotic 14, and 17, and found higher levels of emotional and autophagy dysregulation in the pancreas. This and behavioral issues among children born to study established the molecular mechanism behind pre-pregnancy obese women.26 Another interesting insulin resistance and early pancreatic beta-cell cohort study in the state of Pennsylvania linked dysfunction in offsprings born to obese mothers.19 maternal obesity to the risk of developing child- hood cancer like acute lymphoblastic
Recommended publications
  • 1 Epigenetic Regulation and Fetal Programming
    Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 1–16, 2008 doi:10.1016/j.beem.2007.07.009 available online at http://www.sciencedirect.com 1 Epigenetic regulation and fetal programming Christine Gicquel* MD, PhD Doctor Epigenetics in Human Health and Disease, Baker Medical Research Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, 3004 Victoria, Australia Assam El-Osta PhD Associate Professor Epigenetics in Human Health and Disease, Baker Medical Research Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, 3004 Victoria, Australia Yves Le Bouc MD, PhD Professor APHP-UPMC, Hoˆpital Armand Trousseau, Laboratoire d’Explorations Fonctionnelles Endocriniennes; INSERM U.515, Paris, France Fetal programming encompasses the role of developmental plasticity in response to environmental and nutritional signals during early life and its potential adverse consequences (risk of cardiovascu- lar, metabolic and behavioural diseases) in later life. The first studies in this field highlighted an as- sociation between poor fetal growth and chronic adult diseases. However, environmental signals during early life may lead to adverse long-term effects independently of obvious effects on fetal growth. Adverse long-term effects reflect a mismatch between early (fetal and neonatal) environ- mental conditions and the conditions that the individual will confront later in life. The mechanisms underlying this risk remain unclear. However, experimental data in rodents and recent observa- tions in humans suggest that epigenetic changes in regulatory genes and growth-related genes play a significant role in fetal programming. Improvements in our understanding of the biochemical and molecular mechanisms at play in fetal programming would make it possible to identify bio- markers for detecting infants at high risk of adult-onset diseases.
    [Show full text]
  • Exposure to Smoke During Development: Fetal Programming of Adult Disease
    TOBACCO INDUCED DISEASES Vol. 3, No. 2:5-16 (2006) © PTID Society Exposure to Smoke During Development: Fetal Programming of Adult Disease Hugo T. Bergen Dept. of Human Anatomy & Cell Science, University of Manitoba, ABSTRACT: It is well established that smoking has potent effects on a number of parameters including food intake, body weight, metabolism, and blood pressure. For example, it is well documented that 1) there is an inverse relationship between smoking and body weight, and 2) smoking cessation is associated with weight gain. However, there is increasing evidence that smoking can exert deleterious effects on energy balance through maternal exposure during fetal development. Specifically, there appears to be an increased incidence of metabolic disease (including obesity), and cardiovascular disease in children and adults that were exposed to smoke during fetal development. The present review will examine the relationship between maternal smoke and adult disease in offspring. The epidemiological studies highlighting this relationship will be reviewed as well as the experimental animal models that point to potential mechanisms underlying this relationship. A better understanding of how smoking effects changes in energy balance may lead to treatments to ameliorate the long-lasting effects of perinatal exposure to smoke as well as increasing the health benefits associated with smoking cessation. Smoking And The Fetal Origins Of and newborn growth and the subsequent Disease development of obesity is a commonly cited example of this
    [Show full text]
  • Standardization of Amniotic Fluid Leptin Levels and Utility in Maternal
    Journal of Perinatology (2015) 35, 547–552 © 2015 Nature America, Inc. All rights reserved 0743-8346/15 www.nature.com/jp ORIGINAL ARTICLE Standardization of amniotic fluid leptin levels and utility in maternal overweight and fetal undergrowth M Scott-Finley1,6,JGWoo2,3,6, M Habli1,2, O Ramos-Gonzales2, JF Cnota2, Y Wang3, BD Kamath-Rayne4, AC Hinton1, WJ Polzin1,5, TM Crombleholme5 and RB Hinton2 OBJECTIVE: Leptin is an adipokine that regulates energy homeostasis. The objective of this study was to establish a gestational age-specific standard for amniotic fluid leptin (AFL) levels and examine the relationship between AFL, maternal overweight and fetal growth restriction. STUDY DESIGN: Amniotic fluid was obtained at mid-gestation from singleton gravidas, and leptin was quantified using enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay. Amniotic fluid samples from 321 term pregnancies were analyzed. Clinical data, including fetal ultrasound measurements and maternal and infant characteristics, were available for a subset of patients (n = 45). RESULTS: The median interquartile range AFL level was significantly higher at 14 weeks’ gestation (2133 pg ml − 1 (1703 to 4347)) than after 33 weeks’ gestation (519 pg ml − 1 (380 to 761), P trendo0.0001), an average difference of 102 pg ml − 1 per week. AFL levels were positively correlated with maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.36, P = 0.03) adjusting for gestational age at measurement, but were not associated with fetal growth. CONCLUSIONS: AFL levels are higher at mid-gestation than at late gestation, and are associated with maternal pre-pregnancy BMI. Journal of Perinatology (2015) 35, 547–552; doi:10.1038/jp.2015.39; published online 30 April 2015 INTRODUCTION development.13–15 However, amniotic fluid leptin (AFL) has not Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is among the most significant been standardized or examined systematically during pregnancy.
    [Show full text]
  • Experimental and Human Evidence of Fetal Programming for Metabolic Syndrome
    Journal of Human Hypertension (2012) 26, 405–419 & 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved 0950-9240/12 www.nature.com/jhh REVIEW Developmental origins of health and disease: experimental and human evidence of fetal programming for metabolic syndrome ML de Gusma˜o Correia, AM Volpato, MB A´ guila and CA Mandarim-de-Lacerda Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The concept of developmental origins of health and rodents are associated with fetal and neonatal program- disease has been defined as the process through which ming for metabolic syndrome. In this paper, recent the environment encountered before birth, or in infancy, experimental models and human epidemiological stu- shapes the long-term control of tissue physiology and dies providing evidence for the fetal programming homeostasis. The evidence for programming derives associated with the development of metabolic syndrome from a large number of experimental and epidemiologi- and related diseases are revisited. cal observations. Several nutritional interventions dur- Journal of Human Hypertension (2012) 26, 405–419; ing diverse phases of pregnancy and lactation in doi:10.1038/jhh.2011.61; published online 23 June 2011 Keywords: fetal programming; developmental origins of disease; metabolic syndrome; obesity Introduction Metabolic syndrome is an aggregation of risk factors (that is, overweight, abdominal obesity, The concept of developmental origins of health and hypertension, dyslipidaemia and glucose intoler- disease (a.k.a. fetal programming) was first proposed by 1 2 ance) that strongly correlates with cardiovascular David Barker and later defined by Alan Lucas as the disease. Several nutritional interventions during permanent response of an organism to a stimulus or diverse phases of pregnancy and lactation in rodents insult during critical periods of development.
    [Show full text]
  • Fetal Programming of Glucose-Insulin Metabolism R Huw Jones, Susan E Ozanne
    Fetal Programming of Glucose-Insulin Metabolism R Huw Jones, Susan E Ozanne To cite this version: R Huw Jones, Susan E Ozanne. Fetal Programming of Glucose-Insulin Metabolism. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, Elsevier, 2008, 297 (1-2), pp.4. 10.1016/j.mce.2008.06.020. hal-00532047 HAL Id: hal-00532047 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00532047 Submitted on 4 Nov 2010 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Accepted Manuscript Title: Fetal Programming of Glucose-Insulin Metabolism Authors: R Huw Jones, Susan E Ozanne PII: S0303-7207(08)00279-7 DOI: doi:10.1016/j.mce.2008.06.020 Reference: MCE 6908 To appear in: Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology Received date: 31-1-2008 Revised date: 24-6-2008 Accepted date: 24-6-2008 Please cite this article as: Jones, R.H., Ozanne, S.E., Fetal Programming of Glucose-Insulin Metabolism, Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology (2007), doi:10.1016/j.mce.2008.06.020 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript.
    [Show full text]
  • Preeclampsia and Cardiovascular Risk for Offspring
    Journal of Clinical Medicine Review Preeclampsia and Cardiovascular Risk for Offspring Wiktor Wojczakowski 1, Zaneta˙ Kimber-Trojnar 1,* , Filip Dziwisz 2, Magdalena Słodzi ´nska 1, Hubert Słodzi ´nski 3 and Bozena˙ Leszczy ´nska-Gorzelak 1 1 Department of Obstetrics and Perinatology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland; [email protected] (W.W.); [email protected] (M.S.); [email protected] (B.L.-G.) 2 Department of Interventional Cardiology and Cardiac Arrhythmias, Medical University of Lodz, 90-549 Łód´z,Poland; fi[email protected] 3 Institute of Medical Sciences, State School of Higher Education in Chełm, 22-100 Chełm, Poland; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +48-81-7244-769 Abstract: There is growing evidence of long-term cardiovascular sequelae in children after in utero exposure to preeclampsia. Maternal hypertension and/or placental ischaemia during pregnancy increase the risk of hypertension, stroke, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the offspring later in life. The mechanisms associated with CVD seem to be a combination of genetic, molecular, and environmental factors which can be defined as fetal and postnatal programming. The aim of this paper is to discuss the relationship between pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia and possibility of CVD in the offspring. Unfortunately, due to its multifactorial nature, a clear dependency mechanism between preeclampsia and CVD is difficult to establish. Citation: Wojczakowski, W.; Keywords: preeclampsia; gestational hypertension; cardiovascular risk; offspring; fetal programming Kimber-Trojnar, Z.;˙ Dziwisz, F.; Słodzi´nska,M.; Słodzi´nski,H.; Leszczy´nska-Gorzelak,B. Preeclampsia and Cardiovascular 1. Introduction Risk for Offspring. J.
    [Show full text]
  • Prenatal Programming of Postnatal Obesity: Fetal Nutrition and the Regulation of Leptin Synthesis and Secretion Before Birth
    Proceedings of the Nutrition Society (2004), 63, 405–412 DOI:10.1079/PNS2004370 g The Authors 2004 Prenatal programming of postnatal obesity: fetal nutrition and the regulation of leptin synthesis and secretion before birth I. C. McMillen*, B. S. Muhlhausler, J. A. Duffield and B. S. J. Yuen Discipline of Physiology, School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia Exposure to either an increased or decreased level of intrauterine nutrition can result in an increase in adiposity and in circulating leptin concentrations in later life. In animals such as the sheep and pig in which fat is deposited before birth, leptin is synthesised in fetal adipose tissue and is present in the fetal circulation throughout late gestation. In the sheep a moderate increase or decrease in the level of maternal nutrition does not alter fetal plasma leptin concentrations, but there is evidence that chronic fetal hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia increase fetal fat mass and leptin synthesis within fetal fat depots. Importantly, there is a positive relationship between the relative mass of the ‘unilocular’ component of fetal perirenal and interscapular adipose tissue and circulating fetal leptin concentrations in the sheep. Thus, as in the neonate and adult, circulating leptin concentrations may be a signal of fat mass in fetal life. There is also evidence that leptin can act to regulate the lipid storage, leptin synthetic capacity and potential thermogenic functions of fat before birth. Thus, leptin may act as a signal of energy supply and have a ‘lipostatic’ role before birth. Future studies are clearly required to determine whether the intrauterine and early postnatal nutrient environment programme the endocrine feedback loop between adipose tissue and the central and peripheral neuroendocrine systems that regulate energy balance, resulting in an enhanced risk of obesity in adult life.
    [Show full text]
  • Association of Maternal Prepregnancy Body Mass Index with Fetal Growth and Neonatal Thalamic Brain Connectivity Among Adolescent and Young Women
    Original Investigation | Pediatrics Association of Maternal Prepregnancy Body Mass Index With Fetal Growth and Neonatal Thalamic Brain Connectivity Among Adolescent and Young Women Marisa N. Spann, PhD, MPH; Dustin Scheinost, PhD; Tianshu Feng, MS; Kristiana Barbato, BS; Seonjoo Lee, PhD; Catherine Monk, PhD; Bradley S. Peterson,MD Abstract Key Points Question Is maternal prepregnancy IMPORTANCE Higher maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in body mass index among adolescent and kilograms divided by height in meters squared) is associated with adverse long-term outcomes for young women associated with fetal offspring, including obesity, poorer cognitive and social abilities, and increased risk of psychiatric growth and neonatal functional disorders. Less clear is whether higher maternal BMI disrupts fetal growth and brain development. connectivity? OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of maternal prepregnancy BMI with fetal growth and Findings In this cohort study that neonatal functional connectivity. included 129 pregnant adolescent and young adult women, maternal DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This prospective longitudinal cohort study was conducted prepregnancy body mass index had a from 2012 to 2017. Participants included nulliparous pregnant adolescent and young adult women, significant positive association with the aged 14 to 19 years who were recruited in the second trimester through Columbia University Irving slope of estimated fetal weight and with Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medical College. Women received routine prenatal care and had no greater local thalamic and lower major health problems at the time of recruitment. Data were analyzed from January 2018 to frontothalamic connectivity. March 2020. Meaning These findings suggest that maternal prepregnancy body mass EXPOSURES Maternal prepregnancy BMI.
    [Show full text]
  • Metabolic Programming Interference in the Development of Obesity and Its Comorbidities
    Salus J Health Sci. 2015; 1(1): 87-94 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5935/2447-7826.20150011 REVIEW Metabolic programming interference in the development of obesity and its comorbidities Silva JP 1,*, Lamounier JA 2, Cremasco GN 3 e Silva VR 4 1 PhD, Stricto Sensu Program in Public Policy and Local Development, EMESCAM College of Health Sciences, Vitoria-ES, Brazil 2 PhD, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Medicine, Federal University of Sao Joao del Rei - UFSJ, Sao Joao del Rei-MG, Brazil 3 Graduate Student, Course of Medicine, EMESCAM College of Health Sciences, Vitoria-ES, Brazil 4 PhD, Professor, Stricto Sensu Program in Public Policy and Local Development, EMESCAM College of Health Sciences, Vitoria-ES, Brazil Article received on April 6th , 2015 Article accepted on April 15th , 2015 KEYWORDS Abstract Fetal Development; Objective: To investigate the potential interference of Obesity; Chronic metabolic programming in the development of obesity and its Disease comorbidities. Method: It was consulted the MEDLINE and LILACS databases, including articles published between 2004- 2014 in Portuguese, English and Spanish, using the descriptors fetal development, obesity and chronic disease. Results: Of the 19 articles identified, five were excluded. The search for references from 14 studies analyzed resulted in the inclusion of 38 new articles. Conclusion: There is evidence that intrauterine and postnatal nutrition and lifestyle can interfere in the health programming and the future risk of obesity and chronic diseases. *Corresponding author
    [Show full text]
  • Impact of Early Nutrition, Physical Activity and Sleep on the Fetal Programming of Disease in the Pregnancy: a Narrative Review
    nutrients Review Impact of Early Nutrition, Physical Activity and Sleep on the Fetal Programming of Disease in the Pregnancy: A Narrative Review Jorge Moreno-Fernandez 1,2 , Julio J. Ochoa 1,2,* , Magdalena Lopez-Frias 1,2 and Javier Diaz-Castro 1,2 1 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus Universitario de Cartuja, E-18071 Granada, Spain; [email protected] (J.M.-F.); [email protected] (M.L.-F.); [email protected] (J.D.-C.) 2 Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology “José Mataix Verdú”, University of Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +34-958-241-000 (ext. 20317) Received: 21 November 2020; Accepted: 18 December 2020; Published: 20 December 2020 Abstract: Early programming is the adaptation process by which nutrition and environmental factors alter development pathways during prenatal growth, inducing changes in postnatal metabolism and diseases. The aim of this narrative review, is evaluating the current knowledge in the scientific literature on the effects of nutrition, environmental factors, physical activity and sleep on development pathways. If in utero adaptations were incorrect, this would cause a mismatch between prenatal programming and adulthood. Adequate caloric intake, protein, mineral, vitamin, and long-chain fatty acids, have been noted for their relevance in the offspring brain functions and behavior. Fetus undernutrition/malnutrition causes a delay in growth and have detrimental effects on the development and subsequent functioning of the organs. Pregnancy is a particularly vulnerable period for the development of food preferences and for modifications in the emotional response. Maternal obesity increases the risk of developing perinatal complications and delivery by cesarean section and has long-term implications in the development of metabolic diseases.
    [Show full text]
  • Interventions to Prevent Adverse Fetal Programming Due to Maternal Obesity During Pregnancy
    bs_bs_banner Supplement Article Interventions to prevent adverse fetal programming due to maternal obesity during pregnancy Peter W Nathanielsz, Stephen P Ford, Nathan M Long, Claudia C Vega, Luis A Reyes-Castro, and Elena Zambrano Maternal obesity is a global epidemic affecting both developed and developing countries. Human and animal studies indicate that maternal obesity adversely programs the development of offspring, predisposing them to chronic diseases later in life. Several mechanisms act together to produce these adverse health effects. There is a consequent need for effective interventions that can be used in the management of human pregnancy to prevent these outcomes. The present review analyzes the dietary and exercise intervention studies performed to date in both altricial and precocial animals, rats and sheep, with the aim of preventing adverse offspring outcomes. The results of these interventions present exciting opportunities to prevent, at least in part, adverse metabolic and other outcomes in obese mothers and their offspring. © 2013 International Life Sciences Institute INTRODUCTION diseases through fetal programming.11 In order to gain a better understanding of such developmental program- Worldwide,nearly 1.5 billion people are overweight (body ming, investigation of the various factors involved in its mass index [BMI] >25 kg/m2) or obese (BMI >30 kg/m2),1 challenges, mechanisms, and outcomes is required. and the distribution among countries is broad. For Reports of experimental interventions in animal models example, in
    [Show full text]
  • Maternal Low-Grade Chronic Inflammation and Intrauterine
    International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review Maternal Low-Grade Chronic Inflammation and Intrauterine Programming of Health and Disease Francesca Parisi 1,2,* , Roberta Milazzo 1,2, Valeria M. Savasi 2,3 and Irene Cetin 1,2 1 Department of Woman, Mother and Neonate, ‘V. Buzzi’ Children Hospital, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, 20141 Milan, Italy; [email protected] (R.M.); [email protected] (I.C.) 2 Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, “Luigi Sacco”, University of Milan, 20157 Milan, Italy; [email protected] 3 Department of Woman, Mother and Neonate, ‘L. Sacco’ Hospital, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, 20157 Milan, Italy * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Overweight and obesity during pregnancy have been associated with increased birth weight, childhood obesity, and noncommunicable diseases in the offspring, leading to a vicious transgenerational perpetuating of metabolic derangements. Key components in intrauterine devel- opmental programming still remain to be identified. Obesity involves chronic low-grade systemic inflammation that, in addition to physiological adaptations to pregnancy, may potentially expand to the placental interface and lead to intrauterine derangements with a threshold effect. Animal models, where maternal inflammation is mimicked by single injections with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) resembling the obesity-induced immune profile, showed increased adiposity and impaired metabolic homeostasis in the offspring, similar to the phenotype observed after exposure to maternal obesity. Cytokine levels might be specifically important for the metabolic imprinting, as cytokines are transferable from maternal to fetal circulation and have the capability to modulate placental nutrient Citation: Parisi, F.; Milazzo, R.; transfer. Maternal inflammation may induce metabolic reprogramming at several levels, starting Savasi, V.M.; Cetin, I.
    [Show full text]