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Diet, Nutrition and Fetal Programming

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 March 2020) | Viewed by 36217

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Dr. James Cuffe

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Guest Editor

School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
Interests: fetal programming; pregnancy complications; micronutrients; placental biology; sex differences in disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases in society, research that investigates the early origins of programmed disease has never been more important. Maternal nutrition prior to pregnancy, throughout pregnancy, and during lactation plays a major role in determining the long-term health of offspring. Studies have largely focused on how deficiencies in macronutrients can reduce birth weight and increase offspring disease risk. However, it is becoming increasingly evident that inappropriate levels of micronutrients and other less well studied dietary components can contribute to a range of programmed disease outcomes in offspring. Despite more than 30 years of research describing the relationship between inappropriate nutrition and offspring disease, there is still so much to learn about the mechanisms responsible, and the most appropriate intervention strategies that can reduce the disease burden.

This Special Issue of Nutrients aims to assemble a collection of publications that focus on improving our understanding of the importance of good nutrition around pregnancy for the prevention of long-term disease in offspring. There will be a particular focus on understanding the relationship been inappropriate micronutrient intake/utilisation in pregnancy, and long-term disease outcomes. Given the wide range of organ systems known to be programmed in a sexually dimorphic manner, this Special Edition will prioritise studies that investigate outcomes in both males and females. This Special Issue will predominantly include original research articles, but may also include narrative and systematic review articles.

Dr. James Cuffe
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Nutrition
DOHaD
Fetal programming
Micronutrients
Healthy pregnancy
Cellular mechanism
Healthy diet
Chronic disease

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 368 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maternal Diet Influences Fetal Growth but Not Fetal Kidney Volume in an Australian Indigenous Pregnancy Cohort

by Yu Qi Lee, Eugenie R Lumbers, Tracy L Schumacher, Clare E Collins, Kym M Rae, Kirsty G Pringle and Gomeroi gaaynggal Advisory Committee

Nutrients 2021, 13(2), 569; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu13020569 - 09 Feb 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3719

Abstract

Suboptimal nutrition during pregnancy is recognised as a significant modifiable determinant in the development of chronic disease in offspring in later life. The current study aimed: (i) to assess the dietary intakes of pregnant Indigenous Australian women against national recommendations and (ii) to investigate the associations between maternal nutrition during pregnancy and the growth of the offspring, including kidney development in late gestation in the Gomeroi gaaynggal cohort (n = 103). Maternal dietary intake in the third trimester was assessed using the Australian Eating Survey Food Frequency Questionnaire. Estimated fetal weight (EFW) and kidney size were obtained by ultrasound. Birth weight was retrieved from hospital birth records. Of the five key nutrients for optimal reproductive health (folate, iron, calcium, zinc and fibre), the nutrients with the highest percentage of pregnant women achieving the nutrient reference values (NRVs) were zinc (75.7%) and folate (57.3%), whereas iron was the lowest. Only four people achieved all NRVs (folate, iron, calcium, zinc and fibre) important in pregnancy. Sodium and saturated fat intake exceeded recommended levels and diet quality was low, with a median score of 28 out of 73 points. After adjusting for smoking and pre-pregnancy body mass index, only maternal intake of retinol equivalents and the proportion of energy from nutrient-dense or energy-dense, nutrient-poor (EDNP) foods were associated with fetal growth. EFW decreased by 0.13 g and birth weight decreased by 0.24 g for every µg increase in maternal dietary retinol intake. Interestingly, EFW, but not actual birth weight, was positively associated with percentage energy from nutrient dense foods and negatively associated with percentage energy from EDNP foods. Dietary supplement usage was associated with increased birthweight, most significantly iron and folate supplementation. Current dietary intakes of pregnant Australian women from this cohort do not align with national guidelines. Furthermore, current findings show that maternal retinol intake and diet composition during pregnancy can influence fetal growth, but not fetal kidney growth in late gestation. Strategies that aim to support and optimise nutrient intakes of Indigenous pregnant women are urgently needed. Future studies with long-term follow-up of the children in the current cohort to assess renal damage and blood pressure are imperative. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Nutrition and Fetal Programming)

25 pages, 3304 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gestational Dysfunction-Driven Diets and Probiotic Supplementation Correlate with the Profile of Allergen-Specific Antibodies in the Serum of Allergy Sufferers

by Anna Maria Ogrodowczyk, Magdalena Zakrzewska, Ewa Romaszko and Barbara Wróblewska

Nutrients 2020, 12(8), 2381; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu12082381 - 09 Aug 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3734

Abstract

Background: Maternal diet has significant effects on development of childhood atopic disease and hypersensitivity development. However, the gestational dysfunctions demanding special diets are becoming a widespread phenomenon, their immunological implications can be manifested in the profile of antibodies in the offspring’s serum. Methods: 153 allergic and 150 healthy individuals were diagnosed for allergy using specific antibody and cytokine immunoassay tests. The medical history of subjects along with mothers’ course of pregnancy was completed by allergologist’s anamnesis. A self-organizing neural network and multivariate analyses to complex data and pick basic interactions were used. Results: Two significant explanatory modules were determined. The first was formed by gestational diabetic and cholestatic diet, infant formula feeding type, probiotic supplementation and its BMI index, moderate IgE, increased IgG levels of antibodies and single or poly-food allergy type (7 clusters). The second was formed by gestational vegan/vegetarian and elimination diet, maternal probiotic supplementation, sex, high IgE total antibodies and food and mixed poly-allergy to aero- and food-origin allergens (19 clusters). Conclusions: Significant associations were observed between special gestational diet intake underlying foetal programming and the mechanisms of childhood allergy. The novelty is the positive association between diabetic and cholestatic diet intake and IgE/IgG-mediated food hypersensitivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Nutrition and Fetal Programming)

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14 pages, 1145 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maternal High Linoleic Acid Alters Placental Fatty Acid Composition

by Nirajan Shrestha, Olivia J. Holland, Nykola L. Kent, Anthony V. Perkins, Andrew J. McAinch, James S. M. Cuffe and Deanne H. Hryciw

Nutrients 2020, 12(8), 2183; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu12082183 - 23 Jul 2020

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4173

Abstract

Fetal development is modulated by maternal nutrition during pregnancy. The dietary intake of linoleic acid (LA), an essential dietary n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), has increased. We previously published that increased LA consumption during pregnancy does not alter offspring or placental weight but fetal plasma fatty acid composition; the developing fetus obtains their required PUFA from the maternal circulation. However, it is unknown if increased maternal linoleic acid alters placental fatty acid storage, metabolism, transport, and general placental function. Female Wistar-Kyoto rats were fed either a low LA diet (LLA; 1.44% of energy from LA) or high LA diet (HLA; 6.21% of energy from LA) for 10 weeks before pregnancy and during gestation. Rats were sacrificed at embryonic day 20 (E20, term = 22 days) and placentae collected. The labyrinth of placentae from one male and one female fetus from each litter were analyzed. High maternal LA consumption increased placental total n-6 and LA concentrations, and decreased total n-3 PUFA, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Fatty acid desaturase 1 (Fads1), angiopoietin-like 4 (Angptl4), and diacylglycerol lipase beta (Daglb) mRNA were downregulated in placentae from offspring from HLA dams. Maternal high LA downregulated the fatty acid transport protein 4 (Fatp4) and glucose transporter 1 (Slc2a1) mRNA in placentae. IL-7 and IL-10 protein were decreased in placentae from offspring from HLA dams. In conclusion, a high maternal LA diet alters the placental fatty acid composition, inflammatory proteins, and expressions of nutrient transporters, which may program deleterious outcomes in offspring. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Nutrition and Fetal Programming)

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15 pages, 2814 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Child Overweight or Obesity Is Associated with Modifiable and Geographic Factors in Vietnam: Implications for Program Design and Targeting

by Ty Beal, Tuyen Danh Le, Huong Thi Trinh, Dharani Dhar Burra, Christophe Béné, Tuyen Thi Thanh Huynh, Mai Tuyet Truong, Son Duy Nguyen, Do Thanh Tran, Kien Tri Nguyen, Ha Thi Thu Hoang, Stef de Haan and Andrew D. Jones

Nutrients 2020, 12(5), 1286; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu12051286 - 01 May 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5549

Abstract

Child overweight or obesity is increasing in most countries, including Vietnam. We sought to elucidate the drivers of child overweight or obesity in Vietnam and understand how they vary geographically. We compiled nationally representative cross-sectional data from the Vietnam Nutrition Surveillance Survey collected annually between 2012–2015 and household income data from the General Statistics Office. We used a quasi-Poisson log link function to calculate relative risks (RRs) of under-five child overweight or obesity for 13 variables and stratified analyses by child age (<2 y and 2–5 y) and region. Additional analysis included log-log linear regression to assess the relationship between average provincial monthly per capita income and child overweight or obesity. The strongest associations with child overweight or obesity included birthweight >4000 g (RR: 1.66; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.48, 1.86), maternal body mass index (BMI) ≥27.5 compared with BMI <23 (RR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.47, 1.78), and living in the Southeast (RR: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.84, 2.30), Mekong River Delta (RR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.41, 1.77), or Central South (RR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.37, 1.74) compared with the Central Highland. A 20% higher provincial average monthly per capita income was associated with a 17.4% higher prevalence in child overweight or obesity (P <0.0001, Adjusted R² = 0.36). High birthweight and maternal BMI were strongly associated with child overweight or obesity but are not likely primary drivers in Vietnam, given their low prevalence. C-section delivery, sedentary lifestyle, high maternal education, urbanicity, and high household income affect a large proportion of the population and are, therefore, important risk factors. Policies and programs should target these factors and regions at greatest risk of overweight or obesity, particularly the Southeast and Mekong River Delta. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Nutrition and Fetal Programming)

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15 pages, 1454 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maternal Protein Restriction Altered Insulin Resistance and Inflammation-Associated Gene Expression in Adipose Tissue of Young Adult Mouse Offspring in Response to a High-Fat Diet

by Juhae Kim, Alee Choi and Young Hye Kwon

Nutrients 2020, 12(4), 1103; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu12041103 - 16 Apr 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3292

Abstract

Maternal protein restriction is associated with increased risk of insulin resistance and inflammation in adulthood offspring. Here, we investigated whether maternal protein restriction could alter the risk of metabolic syndrome in postweaning high-fat (HF)-diet-challenged offspring, with focus on epididymal adipose tissue gene expression profile. Female ICR mice were fed a control (C) or a low-protein (LP) diet for two weeks before mating and throughout gestation and lactation, and their male offspring were fed an HF diet for 22 weeks (C/HF and LP/HF groups). A subset of offspring of control dams was fed a low-fat control diet (C/C group). In response to postweaning HF diet, serum insulin level and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were increased in control offspring. Maternal LP diet decreased HOMA-IR and adipose tissue inflammation, and increased serum adiponectin level in the HF-diet-challenged offspring. Accordingly, functional analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) enriched in cytokine production were downregulated in the LP/HF group compared to the C/HF group. We also observed the several annotated gene ontology terms associated with innate immunity and phagocytosis in down-regulated DEGs between LP/HF and C/C groups. In conclusion, maternal protein restriction alleviated insulin resistance and inflammation in young offspring mice fed a HF diet but may impair development of immune system in offspring. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Nutrition and Fetal Programming)

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16 pages, 693 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Serum Microelements in Early Pregnancy and their Risk of Large-for-Gestational Age Birth Weight

by Małgorzata Lewandowska and Jan Lubiński

Nutrients 2020, 12(3), 866; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu12030866 - 24 Mar 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3435

Abstract

Excessive birth weight has serious perinatal consequences, and it “programs” long-term health. Mother’s nutritional status can be an important element in fetal “programming”; microelements such as selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and iron (Fe) are involved in many metabolic processes. However, there are no studies assessing the relationship of the microelements in the peri-conceptual period with the risk of excessive birth weight. We performed a nested case control study of serum microelements’ levels in the 10–14th week of pregnancy and assessed the risk of large-for-gestational age (LGA) newborns using the data from a prospective cohort of pregnant women recruited in 2015–2016 in Poznań, Poland. Mothers delivering LGA newborns (n = 66) were examined with matched mothers delivering appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA) newborns (n = 264). Microelements’ levels were quantified using mass spectrometry. The odds ratios of LGA (and 95% confidence intervals) were calculated by multivariate logistic regression. In the whole group, women with the lowest quartile of Se had a 3 times higher LGA risk compared with women in the highest Se quartile (AOR = 3.00; p = 0.013). Importantly, the result was sustained in the subgroup of women with the normal pre-pregnancy BMI (AOR = 4.79; p = 0.033) and in women with a male fetus (AOR = 6.28; p = 0.004), but it was not sustained in women with a female fetus. There were no statistical associations between Zn, Cu, and Fe levels and LGA. Our study provides some preliminary evidence for the relationships between lower serum Se levels in early pregnancy and a higher risk of large-for-gestational age birth weight. Appropriate Se intake in the periconceptual period may be important for optimal fetal growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Nutrition and Fetal Programming)

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16 pages, 5212 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Grandmother’s Diet Matters: Early Life Programming with Sucrose Influences Metabolic and Lipid Parameters in Second Generation of Rats

by Elena Školníková, Lucie Šedová and Ondřej Šeda

Nutrients 2020, 12(3), 846; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu12030846 - 21 Mar 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2837

Abstract

Early life exposure to certain environmental stimuli is related to the development of alternative phenotypes in mammals. A number of these phenotypes are related to an increased risk of disease later in life, creating a massive healthcare burden. With recent focus on the determination of underlying causes of common metabolic disorders, parental nutrition is of great interest, mainly due to a global shift towards a Western-type diet. Recent studies focusing on the increase of food or macronutrient intake don’t always consider the source of these nutrients as an important factor. In our study, we concentrate on the effects of high-sucrose diet, which provides carbohydrates in form of sucrose as opposed to starch in standard diet, fed in pregnancy and lactation in two subsequent generations of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and congenic SHR-Zbtb16 rats. Maternal sucrose intake increased fasting glycaemia in SHR female offspring in adulthood and increased their chow consumption in gravidity. High-sucrose diet fed to the maternal grandmother increased brown fat weight and HDL cholesterol levels in adult male offspring of both strains, i.e., the grandsons. Fasting glycaemia was however decreased only in SHR offspring. In conclusion, we show the second-generation effects of maternal exposition to a high-sucrose diet, some modulated to a certain extent by variation in the Zbtb16 gene. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Nutrition and Fetal Programming)

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13 pages, 2973 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maternal Fat-1 Transgene Protects Offspring from Excess Weight Gain, Oxidative Stress, and Reduced Fatty Acid Oxidation in Response to High-Fat Diet

by Kristen E. Boyle, Margaret J. Magill-Collins, Sean A. Newsom, Rachel C. Janssen and Jacob E. Friedman

Nutrients 2020, 12(3), 767; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu12030767 - 14 Mar 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3218

Abstract

Overweight and obesity accompanies up to 70% of pregnancies and is a strong risk factor for offspring metabolic disease. Maternal obesity-associated inflammation and lipid profile are hypothesized as important contributors to excess offspring liver and skeletal muscle lipid deposition and oxidative stress. Here, we tested whether dams expressing the fat-1 transgene, which endogenously converts omega-6 (n-6) to omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid, could protect wild-type (WT) offspring against high-fat diet induced weight gain, oxidative stress, and disrupted mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. Despite similar body mass at weaning, offspring from fat-1 high-fat-fed dams gained less weight compared with offspring from WT high-fat-fed dams. In particular, WT males from fat-1 high-fat-fed dams were protected from post-weaning high-fat diet induced weight gain, reduced fatty acid oxidation, or excess oxidative stress compared with offspring of WT high-fat-fed dams. Adult offspring of WT high-fat-fed dams exhibited greater skeletal muscle triglycerides and reduced skeletal muscle antioxidant defense and redox balance compared with offspring of WT dams on control diet. Fat-1 offspring were protected from the reduced fatty acid oxidation and excess oxidative stress observed in offspring of WT high-fat-fed dams. These results indicate that a maternal fat-1 transgene has protective effects against offspring liver and skeletal muscle lipotoxicity resulting from a maternal high-fat diet, particularly in males. Altering maternal fatty acid composition, without changing maternal dietary composition or weight gain with high-fat feeding, may highlight important strategies for n-3-based prevention of developmental programming of obesity and its complications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Nutrition and Fetal Programming)

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16 pages, 1238 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maternal Selenium Deficiency in Mice Alters Offspring Glucose Metabolism and Thyroid Status in a Sexually Dimorphic Manner

by Pierre Hofstee, Daniel R. McKeating, Lucy A. Bartho, Stephen T. Anderson, Anthony V. Perkins and James S. M. Cuffe

Nutrients 2020, 12(1), 267; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu12010267 - 20 Jan 2020

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 5452

Abstract

Selenium is an essential micronutrient commonly deficient in human populations. Selenium deficiency increases the risks of pregnancy complications; however, the long-term impact of selenium deficiency on offspring disease remains unclear. This study investigates the effects of selenium deficiency during pregnancy on offspring metabolic function. Female C57BL/6 mice were allocated to control (>190 μg selenium/kg, n = 8) or low selenium (<50 μg selenium/kg, n = 8) diets prior to mating and throughout gestation. At postnatal day (PN) 170, mice underwent an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test and were culled at PN180 for biochemical analysis. Mice exposed to selenium deficiency in utero had reduced fasting blood glucose but increased postprandial blood glucose concentrations. Male offspring from selenium-deficient litters had increased plasma insulin levels in conjunction with reduced plasma thyroxine (tetraiodothyronine or T4) concentrations. Conversely, females exposed to selenium deficiency in utero exhibited increased plasma thyroxine levels with no change in plasma insulin. This study demonstrates the importance of adequate selenium intake around pregnancy for offspring metabolic health. Given the increasing prevalence of metabolic disease, this study highlights the need for appropriate micronutrient intake during pregnancy to ensure a healthy start to life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet, Nutrition and Fetal Programming)

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