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Maternal Consumption of Dietary Fatty Acids in Early Pregnancy Influences Gene Expression in Adult Offspring in Rats

It is well known that what a pregnant woman puts in her body, it will have some influence on the developing fetus (either good or bad). Not only does the mother’s diet affect the baby during development in utero, but it can also have a long-term effect on the child throughout her or his life.

These long-term changes are likely influence by changes in the DNA profile of the developing fetus, particularly in the microRNAs, which are responsible for regulating gene expression in the body. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are responsible for the everyday normal functioning of cells, however, any mutation or other dysfunction of these miRNAs can lead to disease either in the near future or over the long term.

A new study published in the journal PLOS One sought to determine if different dietary fats consumed by the mother influenced miRNA expression of the child when these fats were ingested during pregnancy. (Note: rats were used during this study for ethical reasons).

Photo by Flickr user  Jim Kenefick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/stark23x/55575455)
Photo by Flickr user Jim Kenefick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/stark23x/55575455)

Rats were split into groups and each group fed one of the following fatty acid-based diets: soybean oil, olive oil, fish oil, linseed oil, or palm-oil.

Rats were fed one of the above diets from conception during gestational day 12. After, all rats were fed a standard diet.

Rats that were not pregnant were used as controls.

Liver concentrations of miRNAs were measured for pregnant and control rats, as well as the offspring produced from the pregnancies.

Specific miRNAs studied were those that are involved in insulin signaling.

Important Findings:

  • Liver concentrations of fatty acids in pregnant and non-pregnant rats reflected that of the specific diet consumed by the rats in early pregnancy.
  • Liver concentrations of fatty acids in rat pups marginally reflected that of the specific diet consumed by their mothers during early pregnancy.
  • Liver concentrations of fatty acids of adult offspring were similar to one another, regardless of what their mothers ate during early pregnancy.
  • miRNA expression in adult offspring were influenced by the specific diet consumed by their mothers during early pregnancy.
    • Specifically, the following miRNAs were influenced by maternal dietary fatty acid intake: miR-215, miR-10b, miR-26, miR-377-3p, miR-21, and miR-192 (plus several others).
  • There was reduced expression of miR-192, miR-215, and miR-10b insulin-signaling miRNAs in adult offspring whose mothers were fed the fish oil diet.

The overall results of this study show that maternal fatty acid intake during pregnancy influences the miRNA expression of insulin-signaling genes in offspring. While insulin-signaling genes were the only ones studied, it can be assumed that maternal fatty acid intake might influence much more.

This study also showed that maternal dietary fatty acid intake influences gene expression in adult offspring, indicating that what

Photo By Ken Hammond (USDA) (http://www.usda.gov/oc/photo/02cs2059.htm) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Photo By Ken Hammond (USDA) (http://www.usda.gov/oc/photo/02cs2059.htm) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
the mother eats during early pregnancy has a life-long influence on gene expression and possible disease risk in the resulting offspring.

As an example, over-expression of certain miRNAs and other genes has been linked to increased risk of diabetes, cancer, and many other diseases. In this study, pregnant rats eating a fish oil-based diet had pups who had reduced expression of several insulin-signaling miRNAs when they reached adulthood, potentially decreasing their risk for various metabolic diseases (like diabetes) that might be associated with those same miRNAs.

It was not determined which maternal diet was “better” in terms of miRNA expression in adult offspring, but would certainly make a fascinating follow-up study.

Source:

Casas-Agustench, P., Fernandes, F.S., Tavares do Carmo, M.G., Visioli, F., Herrera, E., and Dávalos, A. 2015. Consumption of distinct dietary lipids during early pregnancy differentially modulates the expression of microRNAs in mothers and offspring. PLOS One 10(2): doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117858.

Wine, Mediterranean Diet, and Your Health News for 03/16/2015

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Wine, Mediterranean Diet, and Your Health News for 03/10/2015

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Moderate Alcohol Consumption Increases High Fat and Savory Food Intake

One of the understood reasons why wine and alcohol in general are good complements to a meal is that it has been shown to stimulate short-term food intake. While is it is not known what exactly causes

Photo by Flickr user  Monica Kelly (https://www.flickr.com/photos/melancholypear/4528608020)
Photo by Flickr user Monica Kelly (https://www.flickr.com/photos/melancholypear/4528608020)

this increase in food intake after alcohol consumption, there are several theories. First, it is possible the consumption of alcohol reduces the signals that tell the stomach that it is full. Second, alcohol consumption could trigger an increase in reward signaling of food (in other words, telling the brain that “ooo that food is really good for you!”, when in fact it may not be).

A new study published in the journal Appetite aimed to study the effect of alcohol consumption on food intake and to gain a better understanding of the mechanism behind this phenomenon.

24 healthy men were recruited for this study and were randomly assigned to consume either a vodka/orange juice mixture (20g alcohol; considered “moderate” levels) or orange juice without the alcohol. After consuming the beverage, participants were asked to either eat 40 gram piece cake or “pretend” to eat cake. Known as “modified sham feeding”, those participants asked to “pretend” to eat the cake had to put the cake in their mouths, process/chew it per the study instructions, and then spit it back out into a cup without actually swallowing any of it. Those asked to eat the cake did the same processing/chewing procedure, but actually swallowed the cake instead of spitting it out.

The food reward was determined by the amount of food ingested during a lunch 45 minutes after the alcohol/cake intervention. Foods were categorized as being high fat, low fat, savory, and sweet. Participant “liking” and “wanting” of these food categories was also recorded.

Important Findings:

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Wine, Mediterranean Diet, and Your Health News for 02/25/2015

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