Differential hypothalamic leptin sensitivity in obese rat offspring exposed to maternal and postnatal intake of chocolate and soft drink

The role of maternal high fat diet on mouse pup metabolic endpoints following perinatal PFAS and PFAS mixture exposure

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of chemicals that are ubiquitous in the environment. Some of these chemicals, such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are found in human sera and have been shown to cause liver steatosis and reduce postnatal survival and growth in rodents. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the impact of diet and PFAS exposure to mouse dam (mus musculus) on the risk to pup liver and metabolism endpoints later in life, as well as evaluate PFAS partitioning to pups. Timed-pregnant dams were fed a standard chow diet or 60 % kcal high fat diet (HFD). Dams were administered either vehicle, 1 mg/kg PFOA, 1 mg/kg PFOS, 1 mg/kg PFHxS, or a PFAS mixture (1 mg/kg of each PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS) daily via oral gavage from gestation day 1 until postnatal day (PND) 20. At PND 21, livers of dams and 2 pups of each sex were evaluated for lipid changes while remaining pups were weaned to the same diet as the dam for an additional 10 weeks. Dam and pup serum at PND 21 and PND 90 were also evaluated for PFAS concentration, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), leptin and adiponectin, and glycosylated hemoglobin A1c. Perinatal exposure to a HFD, as expected, increased pup body weight, maternal liver weight, pup liver triglycerides, pup serum ALT, and pup serum leptin. PFOA and the PFAS mixture increased liver weights, and. treatment with all three compounds increased liver triglycerides. The maternal HFD increased dam and pup serum PFAS levels, however, was protective against PFOA-induced increase in serum ALT and observed increases in liver triglycerides. The PFAS mixture had very distinct effects when compared to single compound treatment, suggesting some cumulative effects, particularly when evaluating PFAS transfer from dam to pup. This data highlights the importance of diet and mixtures when evaluating liver effect of PFAS and PFAS partitioning.

Depot and sex-specific implications for adipose tissue expandability and functional traits in adulthood of late prenatal and early postnatal malnutrition in a precocial sheep model

The aim was to investigate long‐term, tissue and sex‐specific impacts of pre and postnatal malnutrition on expandability and functional traits of different adipose tissues. Twin‐pregnant ewes were fed NORM (~requirements), LOW (50% of NORM) or HIGH (150%/110% of energy/protein) diets the last 6 weeks prepartum (term ~147‐days). Lambs received moderate, low‐fat (CONV) or high‐carbohydrate‐high‐fat (HCHF) diets from 3 days until 6 months of age, and thereafter CONV diet. At 2½ years of age (adulthood), histomorphometric and gene expression patterns were characterized in subcutaneous (SUB), perirenal (PER), mesenteric (MES), and epicardial (EPI) adipose tissues. SUB had sex‐specific (♂<♀) upper‐limits for adipocyte size and cell‐number indices, irrespective of early life nutrition. PER mass and contents of adipocytes were highest in females and HIGH♂, whereas adipocyte cross‐sectional area was lowest in LOW♂. Pre/postnatal nutrition affected gene expression sex‐specifically in SUB + PER, but unrelated to morphological changes. In PER, LOW/LOW♂ were specific targets of gene expression changes. EPI was affected by postnatal nutrition, and HCHF sheep had enlarged adipocytes and upregulated expressions for adipogenic and lipogenic genes. Conclusion: upper‐limits for SUB expandability were markedly lower in males. Major targets for prenatal malnutrition were PER and males. LOW♂ had the lowest PER expandability, whereas HIGH♂ had an adaptive advantage due to increased hypertrophic ability equivalent to females. Fixed expandability in SUB meant PER became a determining factor for MES and ectopic fat deposition, rendering LOW♂ particularly predisposed for obesity‐associated metabolic risks. EPI, in contrast to other tissues, was targeted particularly by early postnatal obesity, resulting in adipocyte hypertrophy in adulthood.

Leptin and adiponectin concentrations in infants with low birth weight: relationship with maternal health and postnatal growth

Health in pregnancy and infancy can affect the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases. We aimed to describe leptin and adiponectin concentrations in low birth weight (LBW) infants and identify possible associations with maternal nutritional status, adequacy for gestational age, nutritional recovery, and current dietary intake. A cross-sectional study with LBW infants (9-12 months) including maternal background and pre-pregnancy nutritional condition was performed. From the Infants: anthropometry at birth and current was expressed as z-score (weight: WAZ, length, head circumference), nutritional recovery, dietary intake, leptin, and adiponectin blood concentrations. The mean age of the 54 infants was 10.0 ± 1.5 months, 32 (59.3%) were female, 36 (66.7%) preterm, 23 (42.6%) small for gestational age (SGA), and 25 pregnancies (46.3%) were twin. Almost all (98%) of the infants intake energy and protein above the recommendation, and 47 (87.6%) consumed ultra-processed foods. At the time of the assessment, 8 (14.8%) were overweight and 4 (7.4%) had short stature. SGA infants showed faster weight recovery (WAZ 1.54; 95% CI 1.17, 1.91; p = 0.001), higher leptin's concentration (3.0 ng/ml (1.7, 3.0) versus 1.6 ng/ml (0.9, 2.6); p = 0.032)), and leptin/adiponectin ratio (0.13 ± 0.08 versus 0.07 ± 0.07; p = 0.018). The pre-gestational BMI was a modifier of the effect of WAZ on leptin levels (p = 0.027) in LBW infants. Higher pre-gestational BMI increased the effect of WAZ variation (birth and current) on leptin levels. Concluding, LBW infants showed early changes in leptin and adiponectin concentrations, influenced by maternal (pre-gestational BMI), intrauterine (gestational age adequacy - SGA), and postnatal weight gain. This combination of factors may increase the risk of NCD for this group of children.

Temporal Leptin to Determine Cardiovascular and Metabolic Fate throughout the Life

Leptin links peripheral adiposity and the central nervous system (CNS) to regulate cardiometabolic physiology. Within the CNS, leptin receptor-expressing cells are a counterpart to circulating leptin, and leptin receptor-mediated neural networks modulate the output of neuroendocrine and sympathetic nervous activity to balance cardiometabolic homeostasis. Therefore, disrupted CNS leptin signaling is directly implicated in the development of metabolic diseases, such as hypertension, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Independently, maternal leptin also plays a central role in the development and growth of the infant during gestation. Accumulating evidence points to the dynamic maternal leptin environment as a predictor of cardiometabolic fate in their offspring as it is directly associated with infant metabolic parameters at birth. In postnatal life, the degree of serum leptin is representative of the level of body adiposity/weight, a driving factor for cardiometabolic alterations, and therefore, the levels of blood leptin through the CNS mechanism, in a large part, are a strong determinant for future cardiometabolic fate. The current review focuses on highlighting and discussing recent updates for temporal dissection of leptin-associated programing of future cardiometabolic fate throughout the entire life.

Synthetic biology tools for engineering Yarrowia lipolytica

The non-conventional oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica shows great industrial promise. It naturally produces certain compounds of interest but can also artificially generate non-native metabolites, thanks to an engineering process made possible by the significant expansion of a dedicated genetic toolbox. In this review, we present recently developed synthetic biology tools that facilitate the manipulation of Y. lipolytica, including 1) DNA assembly techniques, 2) DNA parts for constructing expression cassettes, 3) genome-editing techniques, and 4) computational tools.

Hypothalamic oxidative stress and inflammation, and peripheral glucose homeostasis in Sprague-Dawley rat offspring exposed to maternal and postnatal chocolate and soft drink

Background

Predisposition to obesity and type 2 diabetes can arise during foetal development and in early postnatal life caused by imbalances in maternal nutritional overload. We aimed to investigate the effects of maternal and postnatal intake of chocolate and soft drink on hypothalamic anti-oxidative stress markers, inflammation and peripheral glucose homeostasis.

Methods

Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were fed ad libitum chow diet only (C) or with chocolate and high sucrose soft drink supplements (S). At birth, litter size was adjusted into 10 male offspring per dam. After weaning at 3 weeks of age, offspring from both dietary groups were assigned to either S or C diet, giving four groups until the end of the experiment at 26 weeks of age.

Results

Offspring exposed to maternal S had up-regulated hypothalamic anti-oxidative markers such as SOD2 and catalase at 3 weeks of age as an indication of oxidative stress. However, at 12 weeks of age these anti-oxidative markers tended to decrease while pro-inflammatory markers such as TNF and IL-1β became up-regulated of all offspring exposed to S diet during some point of their life. Thus, despite an increase in anti-oxidative stress response, offspring exposed to maternal S had a reduced ability to counteract hypothalamic inflammation. At the same time point, postnatal S resulted in increased adiposity, reduced glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity with no effect on body weight. However, at 25 weeks of age, the impaired glucose tolerance was reversible to the response of the control regardless of increased adiposity and body weight pointing towards a compensatory response of the insulin sensitivity or insulin secretion.

Conclusion

Indications of hypothalamic oxidative stress was observed prior to the inflammatory response in offspring exposed to maternal S. Both maternal and postnatal S induced hypothalamic inflammation prior to increased weight gain and thus contributing to obese phenotype.

Sugar Beverages and Dietary Sodas Impact on Brain Health: A Mini Literature Review

Sugar-sweetened beverages containing caffeine are widely used among humans nowadays and can have negative consequences on the overall health. Our study aims to discuss the effects of these sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and how they can impact the health in different ways particularly on the brain. Some of the mechanisms by which soft drinks can exert adverse effects include an increase in glutathione-6-dehydrogenase level, increased levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate and dopamine alteration in brain waves on electroencephalography (EEG) eventually leading to stroke and dementia. They can increase the oxidative stress by a decreasing monoamine oxidase and acetylcholine esterase and antioxidants such as glutathione and catalase. The sleep quality and duration of sleep is also significantly affected by their increased consumption. Also, the consumption of sodium benzoate (found in beverages) on impairing memory, motor coordination, affecting reduced glutathione (GSH), increasing the malondialdehyde (MDA) level in the brain and producing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children is emphasized. Finally, we will highlight how diet drinks can also be harmful and the maternal consumption of chocolate or soft drinks during pregnancy and postnatal period can be linked to cognitive impairment and child obesity.

Fetal over- and undernutrition differentially program thyroid axis adaptability in adult sheep

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to test, whether fetal under- or overnutrition differentially program the thyroid axis with lasting effects on energy metabolism, and if early-life postnatal overnutrition modulates implications of prenatal programming.

DESIGN

Twin-pregnant sheep (n = 36) were either adequately (NORM), under- (LOW; 50% of NORM) or overnourished (HIGH; 150% of energy and 110% of protein requirements) in the last-trimester of gestation. From 3 days-of-age to 6 months-of-age, twin lambs received a conventional (CONV) or an obesogenic, high-carbohydrate high-fat (HCHF) diet. Subgroups were slaughtered at 6-months-of-age. Remaining lambs were fed a low-fat diet until 2½ years-of-age (adulthood).

METHODS

Serum hormone levels were determined at 6 months- and 2½ years-of-age. At 2½ years-of-age, feed intake capacity (intake over 4-h following 72-h fasting) was determined, and an intravenous thyroxine tolerance test (iTTT) was performed, including measurements of heart rate, rectal temperature and energy expenditure (EE).

RESULTS

In the iTTT, the LOW and nutritionally mismatched NORM:HCHF and HIGH:CONV sheep increased serum T₃, T₃:T₄ and T₃:TSH less than NORM:CONV, whereas TSH was decreased less in HIGH, NORM:HCHF and LOW:HCHF. Early postnatal exposure to the HCHF diet decreased basal adult EE in NORM and HIGH, but not LOW, and increased adult feed intake capacity in NORM and LOW, but not HIGH.Conclusions: The iTTT revealed a differential programming of central and peripheral HPT axis function in response to late fetal malnutrition and an early postnatal obesogenic diet, with long-term implications for adult HPT axis adaptability and associated consequences for adiposity risk.