Intrauterine programming of lipid metabolic alterations in the heart of the offspring of diabetic rats is prevented by maternal diets enriched in olive oil

Paternal programming of fetoplacental and offspring metabolic disorders

The alarming increase in the prevalence of metabolic pathologies is of worldwide concern and has been linked not only to genetic factors but also to a large number of non-genetic factors. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the study of the programming of metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity, by paternal exposure, a paradigm termed "Paternal Origins of Health and Disease" (POHaD). This term derives from the better known "Developmental Origins of Health and Disease" (DOHaD), which focuses on the involvement of the maternal intrauterine environment and complications during pregnancy associated with the health and disease of the offspring. Studies on paternal programming have documented environmentally induced epigenetic modifications in the male germline and in seminal plasma, which lead to intergenerational and transgenerational phenotypes, evident already during fetoplacental development. Studies with animal models at both ends of the nutritional spectrum (undernutrition or overnutrition) have been performed to understand the possible mechanisms and signaling pathways leading to the programming of metabolic disorders by exploring epigenetic changes throughout the life of the offspring. The aim of this review was to address the evidence of the programming of fetoplacental developmental alterations and metabolic pathologies in the offspring of males with metabolic disorders and unhealthy exposures, highlighting the mechanisms involved in such programming and looking for paternal interventions to reduce negative health outcomes in the offspring.

The Potential Role of PPARs in the Fetal Origins of Adult Disease

The fetal origins of adult disease (FOAD) hypothesis holds that events during early development have a profound impact on one’s risk for the development of future adult disease. Studies from humans and animals have demonstrated that many diseases can begin in childhood and are caused by a variety of early life traumas, including maternal malnutrition, maternal disease conditions, lifestyle changes, exposure to toxins/chemicals, improper medication during pregnancy, and so on. Recently, the roles of Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) in FOAD have been increasingly appreciated due to their wide variety of biological actions. PPARs are members of the nuclear hormone receptor subfamily, consisting of three distinct subtypes: PPARα, β/δ, and γ, highly expressed in the reproductive tissues. By controlling the maturation of the oocyte, ovulation, implantation of the embryo, development of the placenta, and male fertility, the PPARs play a crucial role in the transition from embryo to fetus in developing mammals. Exposure to adverse events in early life exerts a profound influence on the methylation pattern of PPARs in offspring organs, which can affect development and health throughout the life course, and even across generations. In this review, we summarize the latest research on PPARs in the area of FOAD, highlight the important role of PPARs in FOAD, and provide a potential strategy for early prevention of FOAD.

Intrauterine Programming of Cardiovascular Diseases in Maternal Diabetes

Maternal diabetes is a prevalent pathology that increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases in the offspring, the heart being one of the main target organs affected from the fetal stage until the adult life. Metabolic, pro-oxidant, and proinflammatory alterations in the fetal heart constitute the first steps in the adverse fetal programming of cardiovascular disease in the context of maternal diabetes. This review discusses both human and experimental studies addressing putative mechanisms involved in this fetal programming of heart damage in maternal diabetes. These include cardiac epigenetic changes, alterations in cardiac carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, damaging effects caused by a pro-oxidant and proinflammatory environment, alterations in the cardiac extracellular matrix remodeling, and specific signaling pathways. Putative actions to prevent cardiovascular impairments in the offspring of mothers with diabetes are also discussed.

Intergenerational effects of the antioxidant Idebenone on the placentas of rats with gestational diabetes mellitus

Experimental models of maternal diabetes lead to the intrauterine programming of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) in the offspring, together with an intrauterine proinflammatory environment, feto-placental metabolic alterations and fetal overgrowth. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the mitochondrial antioxidant Idebenone given to F0 mild pregestational diabetic rats on the development of GDM in their F1 offspring and the intergenerational programming of a pro-oxidant/proinflammatory environment that affects the placentas of F2 fetuses. Control and mild pregestational diabetic female rats (F0) were mated with control males, and Idebenone or vehicle was administered to diabetic rats from day 1 of gestation to term. The F1 female offspring were mated with control males and maternal and fetal plasma samples were obtained for metabolic determinations at term. The F2 fetuses and placentas were weighed, and placental protein levels and peroxynitrite-induced damage (immunohistochemistry), mRNA levels (PCR), nitric oxide production (Griess reaction), and number of apoptotic cells (TUNEL) were evaluated. The F1 offspring of F0 diabetic rats (treated or not with Idebenone) developed GDM. The placentas of GDM rats showed a decrease in the mRNA levels of manganese superoxide dismutase and an increase in the production of nitric oxide, peroxynitrite-induced damage, and connective tissue growth factor levels, alterations that were prevented by the maternal Idebenone treatment in F0 rats. In conclusion, the maternal treatment with Idebenone in pregestational diabetic F0 rats ameliorates the pro-oxidant/proinflammatory environment that affects the placentas of F2 fetuses, although it does not prevent F1 rats from developing GDM.

An extra virgin olive oil-enriched diet improves maternal, placental, and cord blood parameters in GDM pregnancies

AIMS

To address the effect of a diet enriched in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) on maternal metabolic parameters and placental proinflammatory markers in Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients.

METHODS

Pregnant women at 24-28 weeks of gestation were enrolled: 33 GDM patients which were randomly assigned or not to the EVOO-enriched group and 17 healthy controls. Metabolic parameters were determined. Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) γ and PPARα protein expression, expression of microRNA (miR)-130a and miR-518d (which respectively target these PPAR isoforms) and levels of proinflammatory markers were evaluated in term placentas. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) activity was evaluated in term placentas and umbilical cord blood.

RESULTS

GDM patients that received the EVOO-enriched diet showed reduced pregnancy weight gain (GDM-EVOO:10.3 ± 0.9, GDM:14.2 ± 1.4, P = .03) and reduced triglyceridemia (GDM-EVOO:231 ± 14, GDM:292 ± 21, P = .02) compared to the non-EVOO-enriched GDM group. In GDM placentas, the EVOO-enriched diet did not regulate PPARγ protein expression or miR-130a expression, but prevented the reduced PPARα protein expression (P = .02 vs GDM) and the increased miR-518d expression (P = .009 vs GDM). Increased proinflammatory markers (interleukin-1β, tumour necrosis factor-α and nitric oxide overproduction) in GDM placentas were prevented by the EVOO-enriched diet (respectively P = .001, P = .001 and P = .01 vs GDM). MMPs overactivity was prevented in placenta and umbilical cord blood in the EVOO-enriched GDM group (MMP-9: respectively P = .01 and P = .001 vs GDM).

CONCLUSIONS

A diet enriched in EVOO in GDM patients reduced maternal triglyceridemia and weight gain and has antiinflammatory properties in placenta and umbilical cord blood, possibly mediated by the regulation of PPAR pathways.

Olive oil supplementation prevents extracellular matrix deposition and reduces prooxidant markers and apoptosis in the offspring´s heart of diabetic rats

Maternal diabetes induces fetal programming of cardiovascular diseases. Diabetes induced-cardiac fibrosis is a process that may start in utero and may be related to the prooxidant/proinflammatory environment. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a maternal diet enriched in olive oil on the levels of components and regulators of the extracellular matrix, on prooxidant markers and on apoptosis rate in the heart of 21-day-old offspring of diabetic rats. Maternal diabetes was induced by neonatal administration of streptozotocin. During pregnancy, diabetic and control rats were fed with diets supplemented or not with 6% olive oil. The heart of the offspring was studied at 21 days of age. We found increased deposition of collagen IV and fibronectin in the offspring´s heart of diabetic rats, which was prevented by the maternal diets enriched in olive oil. Increases in connective tissue growth factor were also prevented by the maternal diets enriched in olive oil. Prooxidant markers as well as apoptosis, which were increased in the heart of the offspring of diabetic rats, were prevented by the maternal olive oil dietary treatment. Our findings identified powerful effects of a maternal diet enriched in olive oil on the prevention of increased extracellular matrix deposition and increased prooxidant markers in the heart of 21-day-old offspring of diabetic rats.

Diet Enriched with Olive Oil Attenuates Placental Dysfunction in Rats with Gestational Diabetes Induced by Intrauterine Programming

SCOPE

Offspring from rats with mild diabetes develop gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We tested the hypothesis that an olive oil-supplemented diet attenuates placental oxidative stress/inflammation, activation of mTOR signaling, and inhibition of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and fetal overgrowth in GDM offspring from mild diabetic rats.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Female offspring from rats with mild diabetes (group that developed GDM) and controls were fed with either a standard diet or a 6% olive oil-supplemented diet during pregnancy. On day 21 of pregnancy, plasma glucose levels in mothers and fetuses were increased in the GDM group independently of the diet. Fetal overgrowth and activation of placental mTOR signaling were partially prevented in the olive oil-treated GDM group. Placental PPARγ protein expression was decreased in GDM rats, independently of the diet. However, increases in placental lipoperoxidation, connective tissue growth factor, and matrix metalloproteinase 2 levels were prevented by the olive oil-enriched diet.

CONCLUSION

Diets enriched with olive oil attenuate placental dysfunction and fetal overgrowth in rats with GDM induced by intrauterine programming.

Effect of the antioxidant idebenone on maternal diabetes-induced embryo alterations during early organogenesis

RESEARCH QUESTION

Can maternal treatments with idebenone, a structural analogue of coenzyme Q10, prevent alterations on markers of proinflammatory-prooxidant processes, on the expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and function, and on the apoptotic rate in embryos from mild diabetic rats?

DESIGN

A mild diabetic rat model was induced by neonatal-streptozotocin administration (90 mg/kg subcutaneously). Female diabetic rats and controls were mated with healthy males. From day 1 of pregnancy, control and diabetic rats were orally treated with idebenone (100 mg/kg daily). On day 10.5 of gestation, the embryos were explanted and prepared for immunohistochemical studies, for the evaluation of gene expression by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and for TdT (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase)-mediated dUDP nick-end-labelling assay analysis.

RESULTS

Embryos from mild diabetic rats showed increased levels of nitrated proteins, 4-hydroxynonenal and matrix metalloproteinase 9, which were prevented by idebenone administration. We also found a decreased embryonic expression of cytochrome c oxidase and reduced mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ coactivator-1-α and nuclear respiratory factor-1, both of which were prevented by idebenone administration to the diabetic pregnant rats. Embryos from mild diabetic rats also showed an increased apoptotic rate, which was diminished by idebenone treatment.

CONCLUSION

Maternal idebenone treatment ameliorates altered parameters related to the prooxidant-proinflammatory environment found in embryos from mild diabetic rats, suggesting a putative treatment to prevent diabetes-induced embryo alterations.

Supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids in pregnant rats with mild diabetes normalizes placental PPARγ and mTOR signaling in female offspring developing gestational diabetes

Maternal diabetes impairs fetoplacental development and programs metabolic diseases in the offspring. We have previously reported that female offspring of pregnant rats with mild diabetes develop gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) when they become pregnant. Here, we studied the effects of supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in pregnant mild diabetic rats (F0) by feeding a 6% safflower-oil-enriched diet from day 1 to 14 followed by a 6% chia-oil-enriched diet from day 14 of pregnancy to term. We analyzed maternal metabolic parameters and placental signaling at term in pregnant offspring (F1). The offspring of both PUFAs-treated and untreated mild diabetic rats developed GDM. Although gestational hyperglycemia was not prevented by dietary PUFAs treatment in F0, triglyceridemia and cholesterolemia in F1 mothers were normalized by F0 PUFAs dietary treatment. In the placenta of F1 GDM rats, PPARγ levels were reduced and lipoperoxidation was increased, changes that were prevented by the maternal diets enriched in PUFAs in the F0 generation. Moreover, fetal overgrowth and placental activation of mTOR signaling pathways were reduced in F1 GDM rats whose mothers were treated with PUFAs diets. These results suggest that F0 PUFAs dietary treatment in pregnancies with mild diabetes improves maternal dyslipidemia, fetal overgrowth and placental signaling in female offspring when they become pregnant. We speculate that an increased PUFAs intake in pregnancies complicated by diabetes may prove effective to ameliorate metabolic programming in the offspring, thereby improving the health of future generations.

A novel rat model of gestational diabetes induced by intrauterine programming is associated with alterations in placental signaling and fetal overgrowth

A family history of diabetes predisposes to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We hypothesized that female offspring of rats with pre-gestational diabetes will develop GDM, a pathology associated with fetal overgrowth and altered placental signaling. We found normal glycemia and insulinemia in the offspring from pre-gestational diabetic rats at three months of age. However, consistent with GDM, maternal hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia and increased fetal weight were evident when compared to controls. In this intrauterine programmed GDM model, the placentas showed alterations in mTOR pathway: unchanged phosphorylation of 4EBP-1 and PKCα despite reduced total expression of 4EBP-1 and PKCα, and increased phosphorylation of SGK1. GDM placentas also showed reduced expression of PPARα and PPARγ, and increased lipoperoxidation, nitric oxide production and peroxynitrite-induced damage. We conclude that exposure of maternal diabetes in utero programs GDM in the female offspring, leading to a GDM model associated with impaired placental signaling pathways, increased pro-oxidant/pro-inflammatory environment and fetal overgrowth.