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Maternal high-fat diet is associated with impaired fetal lung development
Reina S Mayor1, Katelyn E Finch2, Jordan Zehr2
1Center for Pulmonary and Vascular Biology and Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas;
Insights
Maternal high-fat diets impair fetal lung development and growth, leading to lasting lung structure changes. This highlights the critical link between maternal diet and infant respiratory health.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Developmental biology
- Nutritional science
Background:
- Maternal nutrition significantly impacts long-term infant health and chronic disease risk.
- Low birth weight, linked to poor maternal nutrition, is associated with heart disease, hypertension, asthma, and type 2 diabetes.
- Mechanisms connecting maternal diet to fetal lung development are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of maternal high-fat diet (HFD) on fetal lung development.
- To explore the role of placental inflammation and insufficiency in mediating these effects.
- To assess the persistence of lung structural changes postnatally.
Main Methods:
- Maternal exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD) during gestation and lactation.
- Assessment of placental inflammation and function.
- Evaluation of fetal growth parameters, including fetal growth restriction (FGR).
- Analysis of fetal and postnatal lung development, including alveolar structure.
Main Results:
- Maternal HFD induced placental inflammation, leading to placental insufficiency.
- Placental insufficiency resulted in fetal growth restriction (FGR) and inhibited fetal lung development.
- Persistent alveolar simplification was observed in offspring exposed to maternal HFD pre- and postnatally.
Conclusions:
- Maternal HFD adversely affects fetal lung development through placental inflammation and insufficiency.
- Early-life exposure to maternal HFD can lead to persistent structural abnormalities in the lung.
- These findings underscore the critical role of maternal diet in programming infant respiratory health.
Abstract:
Maternal nutrition has a profound long-term impact on infant health. Poor maternal nutrition influences placental development and fetal growth, resulting in low birth weight, which is strongly associated with the risk of developing chronic diseases, including heart disease, hypertension, asthma, and type 2 diabetes, later in life. Few studies have delineated the mechanisms by which maternal nutrition affects fetal lung development. Here, we report that maternal exposure to a diet high in fat (HFD) causes placental inflammation, resulting in placental insufficiency, fetal growth restriction (FGR), and inhibition of fetal lung development. Notably, pre- and postnatal exposure to maternal HFD also results in persistent alveolar simplification in the postnatal period. Our novel findings provide a strong association between maternal diet and fetal lung development.
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