Peri-conception parental obesity, reproductive health, and transgenerational impacts
Michelle Lane1, Deirdre L Zander-Fox2, Rebecca L Robker3
1Robinson Research Institute, School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia; Monash IVF Group, Richmond, Victoria, Australia; Freemasons Centre for Men's Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia.
Insights
Parental obesity before conception impacts offspring health across generations. Pre-conception parental obesity alters sperm and egg molecular makeup, influencing fetal development and increasing risks for obesity and metabolic disease in children.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Developmental biology
- Metabolic disease research
Background:
- Maternal over-nutrition during pregnancy is linked to pregnancy complications and childhood obesity.
- Parental lifestyle factors before conception significantly impact offspring health for multiple generations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of parental obesity prior to conception on offspring health outcomes.
- To explore the molecular mechanisms linking parental obesity to developmental trajectories and metabolic disease in offspring.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of molecular changes in oocytes and sperm from obese parents.
- Assessment of epigenetic reprogramming following fertilization.
- Evaluation of embryonic developmental trajectories.
- Longitudinal study of offspring health outcomes, focusing on obesity and metabolic disease incidence.
Main Results:
- Parental obesity prior to conception alters the molecular composition of gametes (oocytes and sperm).
- These molecular alterations can evade epigenetic reprogramming during fertilization.
- Altered gametes influence embryonic development, increasing the risk of obesity and metabolic disorders in offspring.
Conclusions:
- Parental obesity is a critical factor influencing multi-generational health.
- Understanding the molecular underpinnings is key to developing interventions.
- Interventions targeting parental preconception health can mitigate risks for future generations.
Abstract:
Maternal over-nutrition during pregnancy is a risk factor for pregnancy complications and is increasingly associated with adverse childhood outcomes such as increased propensity for obesity and metabolic disease. However, there is emerging evidence that parental lifestyle factors prior to and at conception have a powerful impact on the health of the offspring for more than one generation. Maternal and paternal obesity prior to conception alters the molecular composition of both oocytes and sperm, which can partly escape epigenetic reprogramming at fertilization, altering the developmental trajectory of the resultant embryo, ultimately increasing the incidence of obesity and metabolic disorders in offspring. Understanding the molecular underpinning of these changes may help create interventions to reduce the risk of disease in future generations.
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