Birth, Development, and Health

Paternal over- and under-nutrition program fetal and placental development in a sex-specific manner in mice

This study shows that paternal over- and under-nutrition affects fetal and placental development in a sex-specific manner in mice, without significantly impacting male fertility.

Hyper-proliferation of Adipose Progenitors During Developmental Adipogenesis Programs Higher Adipocyte Number and Early-onset Obesity in Offspring Born to Obese Dams

The paper identifies hyper-proliferation of adipose progenitors in offspring of obese mothers as a mechanism for early-onset obesity and increased adipocyte number.

Prenatal stress increases corticosterone levels in offspring by impairing placental glucocorticoid barrier function

This study shows prenatal stress impairs the placental glucocorticoid barrier by altering DNA methylation of key genes, leading to increased corticosterone levels in offspring.

Sex-dependent effects of a gestational ketogenic diet on offspring birth and lifespan

This study examines the effects of a gestational ketogenic diet on mouse offspring, finding reduced litter size, altered sex ratios, and sex-dependent impacts on lifespan and body mass.

Utilising novel Mendelian randomization approaches to investigate a potential causal effect of fetal growth on maternal cardiometabolic risk in the UK Biobank

This study uses Mendelian randomization to examine if fetal growth affects maternal cardiometabolic risk, finding no strong causal evidence.

Maternal high-fat/high-sugar diet has short-term dental effects and long-term sex-specific skeletal effects on adult offspring mice

This study shows that maternal high-fat/high-sugar diet affects craniofacial and dental morphology in adult offspring mice, with sex-specific and generation-persistent skeletal effects in females.

Epigenetic mediation may explain intergenerational associations between maternal lifestyle and birth weight of offsprings - Findings from the NorthPop prospective birth cohort

The paper investigates how maternal lifestyle factors affect offspring birth weight through epigenetic mediation using the NorthPop cohort.

A dataset of adult heart and liver mass after placental Insulin-like growth factor 1 overexpression and insufficiency in mice

This paper presents a dataset of adult heart and liver mass in mice with placental IGF1 overexpression or insufficiency, showing sex-specific effects on heart mass.

Maternal obesity and offspring neurodevelopment are associated with hypoxic gene expression in term human placenta

The paper links maternal obesity to hypoxia gene expression in term placenta and its association with offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Early-life nutrition supplementation and epigenetic age in middle-adulthood among Guatemalan adults

This study examines how early-life nutrition supplementation affects epigenetic age in middle adulthood using data from a randomized trial in Guatemala.

HUMAN FETAL CIRCULATING FACTORS FROM PREGNANCIES COMPLICATED BY MATERNAL OBESITY INDUCE HYPERTROPHY IN NEONATAL RAT CARDIOMYOCYTES

This study shows that fetal serum from obese pregnant women induces pathological cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in neonatal rats through circulating factors.

Effects of Maternal stress on epigenetic markers on fetal tissues and neurodevelopment at various gestational ages: A Systematic review

This systematic review evaluates the epigenetic impact of maternal stress on fetal neurodevelopment, finding distinct methylation patterns in genes like NR3C1 and FKBP5 depending on stress type and gestational timing.

Placenta hIGF1 nanoparticle treatment in guinea pigs mitigates fetal sex dependent FGR-associated effects on kidney structure and blood pressure-related signaling pathways

This study shows that placental hIGF1 nanoparticle treatment in guinea pigs reduces FGR-related kidney structural and signaling pathway changes.

Maternal progesterone and adipose mPRε in pregnancy regulate the embryonic nutritional state

This study shows that maternal progesterone and adipose mPRε regulate the embryonic nutritional state by affecting glucose provision and metabolic outcomes in offspring.

Placental hIGF1 nanoparticle gene therapy in guinea pigs ameliorates fetal growth restriction-associated changes in hepatic lipid and glucose metabolism-related signaling pathways in a fetal sex-specific manner

This study shows that placental hIGF1 nanoparticle gene therapy in guinea pigs reduces FGR-associated liver metabolic dysregulation in a fetal sex-specific manner.

Maternal sucrose consumption alters steroid levels in the mother, placenta, and fetus

This study shows that maternal high-sucrose diet alters steroid levels in the mother, placenta, and fetus, potentially affecting offspring neuroendocrinology and behavior.

High fat high sucrose exposure during lactation but not during the post-weaning period programs impaired glucose homeostasis

This study shows that high-fat, high-sucrose diets during lactation, but not post-weaning, impair glucose homeostasis in mice, indicating a critical metabolic programming window during lactation.

Rare variant associations with birth weight identify genes involved in adipose tissue regulation, placental function and insulin-like growth factor signalling

The paper identifies rare genetic variants associated with birth weight, highlighting genes involved in adipose tissue regulation, placental function, and insulin-like growth factor signaling.

Differences in maternal diet fiber content influence patterns of gene expression and chromatin accessibility in fetuses and piglets

This study shows that high-fiber maternal diets alter gene expression and chromatin accessibility in fetuses and piglets, improving metabolic health and immune tolerance.

Metabolomic and transcriptomic remodeling of bone marrow myeloid cells in response to maternal obesity

This study shows that maternal obesity alters lipid metabolism, metabolomics, and gene expression in bone marrow myeloid cells of offspring, potentially contributing to adult metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk.

Prenatal Dexamethasone Programs Autonomic Dysregulation in Female Rats

This study shows that prenatal dexamethasone exposure in female rats leads to autonomic dysregulation, characterized by reduced parasympathetic influence and increased sympathetic responses to stress.

Maternal adiponectin restores cholinergic vasodilation in resistance vessels from adult offspring exposed to maternal obesity in utero

This study shows that maternal adiponectin supplementation during obesity prevents vascular dysfunction in offspring.

SPAG7 deletion causes intrauterine growth restriction, resulting in adulthood obesity and metabolic dysfunction

This study identifies SPAG7 gene mutations in mice causing intrauterine growth restriction and adult obesity through reduced energy expenditure and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Maternal Western-style diet programs skeletal muscle gene expression in lean adolescent Japanese macaque offspring

This study shows that a maternal Western-style diet during pregnancy and lactation alters skeletal muscle gene expression in offspring, affecting insulin signaling and metabolic health.

Perinatal maternal undernutrition in baboons modulates hepatic mitochondrial function but not metabolites in aging offspring.

This study examines the effects of maternal undernutrition on hepatic mitochondrial function in baboon offspring during aging, finding male-specific increases in mitochondrial bioenergetics without changes in plasma metabolites.

Paternally-induced environmental programming of placenta development, offspring birth weight and health phenotypes in a mouse model

This study shows that paternal exposure to DDT before conception leads to smaller offspring, metabolic issues in males, and placental changes, suggesting environmental effects on intergenerational health.

Associations between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and infant striatal mean diffusivity

This study finds a positive association between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and infant left caudate nucleus mean diffusivity, suggesting in utero exposure to maternal adiposity may impact brain development.

Disentangling the link between maternal influences on birth weight and disease risk in 36,211 genotyped mother-child pairs

The paper uses Mendelian Randomization to assess the causal link between maternal influences on birth weight and five health outcomes in 36,211 genotyped mother-child pairs.

Grb7, Grb10 and Grb14, encoding the growth factor receptor-bound 7 family of signalling adaptor proteins have overlapping functions in the regulation of fetal growth and post-natal glucose metabolism

This study generates Grb7 KO mice and shows Grb7 and Grb14 have minimal impact on fetal growth but Grb7 may promote kidney growth and subtly affects glucose metabolism in adults.

Appropriate glycemic management protects the germline but not uterine environment in type 1 diabetes

This study shows that appropriate glycemic management in type 1 diabetes protects the germline but not the uterine environment, affecting fetal growth and placental function.