Birth, Development, and Health

Revealing grand-paternal programming of lipid metabolism using a novel computational tool

The paper uses a novel computational tool to analyze lipid metabolism changes in offspring due to paternal diet, identifying tissue-specific lipid alterations linked to cardio-metabolic disease risk.

Impact of gestational low-protein intake on embryonic kidney microRNA expression and in the nephron progenitor cells of the male offspring fetus

This study shows that gestational low-protein diet alters miRNA expression and nephron progenitor cell dynamics in fetal male offspring, leading to reduced nephron numbers and renal dysfunction.

Birth weight is associated with brain tissue volumes seven decades later, but not with age-associated changes to brain structure

The paper examines the association between birth weight and brain structure in older age, finding positive links with brain volumes but not with age-related structural changes.

Common maternal and fetal genetic variants show expected polygenic effects on the probability of being born small- or large-for-gestational-age (SGA or LGA), except in the smallest 3% of babies

Transient grb10a Knockdown Permanently Alters Growth, Cardiometabolic Phenotype and the Transcriptome in Danio rerio

This study shows that transient grb10a knockdown in zebrafish leads to permanent transcriptomic changes and persistent cardiometabolic phenotypes in adulthood.

Postnatal persistence of sex-dependent renal developmentally programmed structural and molecular changes in nonhuman primates

This study examines how reduced maternal nutrition during pregnancy affects kidney function in nonhuman primates, showing persistent molecular and structural changes that influence responses to a high-fat, high-carbohydrate, high-salt diet.

Placental microRNA Expression Associates with Birthweight through Control of Adipokines: Results from Two Independent Cohorts

The paper identifies miR-532 as a microRNA associated with birthweight percentile through regulation of adipokines in two independent cohorts.

Maternal High Fiber Diet Protects Offspring Against Type 2 Diabetes

This study shows that a maternal high fiber diet reduces the risk of diet-induced diabetes in offspring, even when offspring are exposed to a diabetogenic diet later in life.

Sex-specific effects of in vitro fertilization on adult metabolic phenotypes and hepatic transcriptomic and proteomic pathways in mouse.

This study examines sex-specific metabolic and transcriptomic effects of IVF in mice, finding sex-dimorphic dysregulation of SREBP pathways and placental DNA methylation changes linked to cholesterol levels.

Diet alters micronutrient pathways in the gut and placenta that regulate fetal growth and development in pregnant mice

This study examines how different diets affect micronutrient pathways in the gut and placenta of pregnant mice, revealing changes in folate and inositol transporters and gut microbiota that may influence fetal development.

Maternal high fat diet alters lactation-specific miRNA expression and programs the DNA methylome in the amygdala of female offspring

This study shows that maternal high fat diet reduces lactation-specific miRNAs in milk and amygdala, leading to increased DNA methylation and altered neurodevelopmental pathways in female offspring.

Maternal biomarker patterns for metabolism and inflammation in pregnancy are influenced by multiple micronutrient supplementation and associated with childrens’s biomarker patterns and nutritional status at 9-12 years of age in Lombok, Indonesia

This study examines how maternal biomarkers for metabolism and inflammation during pregnancy, influenced by multiple micronutrient supplementation, are linked to children's biomarker patterns and nutritional status at 9-12 years old in Lombok, Indonesia.

Are mice born normally with an egg-only diet?

The paper examines if mice can be born healthy on an egg-only diet, finding that while pregnancy and birth rates are unaffected, newborns on this diet do not survive beyond one month unless their diet is changed post-birth.

Maternal high-fat diet induces sex-specific changes to glucocorticoid and inflammatory signaling in response to corticosterone and lipopolysaccharide challenge in adult rat offspring

This study shows that maternal high-fat diet leads to sex-specific changes in inflammatory and glucocorticoid signaling in adult rat offspring under stress and immune challenges.

Birth weight predicts psychiatric and physical health, cognitive function, and DNA methylation differences in an adult population

This study links birth weight to adult health outcomes and DNA methylation differences, identifying a significant CpG site and associations with biological aging markers.

Metabolomics profile of umbilical cord blood is associated with maternal pre-pregnant obesity in a prospective multi-ethnic cohort displaying health disparities

The paper identifies metabolites in umbilical cord blood linked to maternal pre-pregnant obesity using metabolomics in a multi-ethnic cohort.

Maternal malnutrition impacts placental morphology and transport. An origin for poor offspring growth and vulnerability to disease.

This study examines how maternal malnutrition affects placental morphology and transport systems in mice, revealing differences in placental development and function between undernourished and high-fat diet groups.

Epigenetic gestational age and trajectories of weight and height during childhood: a prospective cohort study

This study examines how gestational age acceleration (GAA) relates to weight and height trajectories from birth to 10 years, finding initial increases in birth weight and height that reverse later in childhood.

Environmental influences on placental programming and offspring outcomes following maternal immune activation

This study investigates how environmental enrichment mitigates maternal immune activation effects on placental function and offspring outcomes in rats.

Relationship between birth weight and chronic kidney disease: an integrative analysis of observational studies and causal inference through genetic approaches

This study finds an inverse association between low birth weight and chronic kidney disease in observational studies but no causal link using Mendelian randomization.

Body composition and growth in full-term small for gestational age and large for gestational age Swedish infants assessed with air displacement plethysmography at birth and at 3-4 months of age.

The paper compares body composition and growth in SGA and LGA infants using air displacement plethysmography at birth and 3-4 months, finding significant differences in fat mass and growth rates.

Maternal and fetal genetic effects on birth weight and their relevance to cardio-metabolic risk factors

This study identifies genetic effects on birth weight and their impact on cardio-metabolic traits, distinguishing fetal and maternal contributions.

miRNAs, target genes expression and morphological analysis on the heart in gestational protein-restricted offspring

This study examines the effects of gestational protein restriction on cardiac morphology and miRNA expression in offspring, finding altered miRNA profiles and gene expression associated with cardiovascular changes.

Paternal grandparental exposure to crop failure or surfeit during a childhood slow growth period: Epigenetic marks on grandchildren’s growth, glucoregulatory and stress genes

The paper investigates transgenerational epigenetic effects of paternal grandparental exposure to crop failure or surfeit during childhood, finding differential methylation in grandchildren's genes related to growth, glucoregulation, and stress.

Single-Cell Analysis Identifies Thymic Maturation Delay in Growth-Restricted Neonatal Mice

The paper uses single-cell RNA sequencing to identify thymic maturation delay in growth-restricted neonatal mice, showing reduced T-cellularity and altered cell cycle regulation.

Epigenetic transmission of cardiometabolic risk in offspring discordant for maternal gestational metabolic fitness

This study shows that maternal biliopancreatic diversion surgery reduces cardiometabolic risk in offspring through epigenetic changes in methylation patterns, independent of BMI.

Birthweight, Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease: Addressing the Barker Hypothesis with Mendelian randomization

This study uses Mendelian randomization to show lower birthweight causally increases risk of CAD and T2D in adulthood, independent of adult BMI and hypertension.

Gestational low-protein intake enhances the whole kidney miR-192 and miR-200 family expression and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in adult male offspring

The paper investigates how maternal low-protein diet affects kidney function in adult male offspring, finding increased miR-192 and miR-200 family expression and EMT markers.

A ‘phenotypic hangover’ – the predictive adaptive response and multigenerational effects of altered nutrition on the transcriptome of Drosophila melanogaster

This study investigates how altered nutrition affects gene expression across generations in Drosophila, showing multigenerational inheritance of epigenetic gene expression changes.

Effects of Prenatal Stress on Structural Brain Development and Aging in Humans

This review summarizes how maternal stress and malnutrition during pregnancy affect structural brain aging and age-related brain disorders in humans.