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Updated: May 10, 2026
08:34
Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis
Published on: June 3, 2016
Developmental programming of offspring obesity, adipogenesis, and appetite
1Perinatal Research Laboratories, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA. mikeross@ucla.edu
Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology
|June 12, 2013
Summary
Maternal obesity, gestational diabetes, and environmental toxins like bisphenol A can program infants for obesity. These early life exposures alter appetite pathways and fat development, increasing obesity risk later in life.
Area of Science:
- Developmental programming
- Obesity research
- Environmental toxicology
Background:
- The global obesity epidemic is a significant public health concern.
- Infant developmental programming is increasingly recognized as a key factor.
- Maternal conditions like obesity and gestational diabetes, and environmental toxins, are implicated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the mechanisms by which early life exposures contribute to offspring obesity.
- To identify critical developmental pathways affected by intrauterine and early postnatal environments.
- To inform future prevention and treatment strategies for obesity.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on developmental programming and obesity.
- Analysis of molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in appetite regulation and adipogenesis.
- Examination of the role of nutrient sensing, epigenetics, and stem cell alterations.
Main Results:
- Early life exposures, including maternal obesity, gestational diabetes, intrauterine growth restriction, and environmental toxins (e.g., bisphenol A), can program offspring for obesity.
- Key mechanisms involve programming of the hypothalamic appetite pathway and adipogenic signals regulating lipogenesis.
- Epigenetic modifications and alterations in stem cell precursors for neurons and adipocytes contribute to potentiated offspring obesity.
Conclusions:
- Developmental programming during early life is a primary driver of the current obesity epidemic.
- Interventions must target the programming effects of the early life environment for effective obesity prevention and therapy.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing novel therapeutic strategies.
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