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C-section birth increases offspring obesity risk dependent on maternal diet and obesity status in rats
Nicole A Cho1, Kate M Sales1, Kara Sampsell1
1Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Insights
Cesarean section (CS) delivery alters offspring obesity risk, particularly when the mother is obese. This impacts gut microbiota and metabolic gene expression, highlighting the need for further research.
Area of Science:
- Microbiome research
- Developmental biology
- Metabolic health
Background:
- The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in host metabolism, especially during early development.
- Vertical transmission of maternal microbiota occurs during natural birth, but is absent in cesarean section (CS) deliveries.
- CS delivery is associated with an increased risk of obesity in offspring later in life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the differential effects of CS delivery on offspring obesity risk in relation to maternal obesity status.
- To analyze the impact of birth mode and maternal weight on offspring body composition, food intake, and gut microbiota.
Main Methods:
- Offspring from lean and obese rat dams were analyzed based on natural birth (NB) or CS delivery.
- Assessment included body weight and composition, caloric intake, sucrose preference, gut microbiota profiling, and gene expression analysis in gut and brain tissues.
Main Results:
- Obese (O)+CS offspring exhibited increased weight gain and caloric intake compared to Obese (O)+NB offspring, with altered hypothalamic neuropeptide expression.
- Lean (L)+CS offspring showed elevated serum corticosterone and reduced liver peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ expression compared to Lean (L)+NB offspring.
- Cesarean section (CS) delivery in obese dams led to long-term gut microbiota alterations in offspring, including increased Faecalibaculum and reduced Muribaculaceae.
Conclusions:
- Cesarean section (CS) delivery differentially influences offspring obesity risk depending on maternal obesity status.
- Maternal obesity status is a critical factor in understanding the long-term health consequences of CS delivery.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the complex interplay between CS delivery, maternal obesity, and the offspring's gut microbiota and metabolic health.
Objective:
The gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem that shapes host metabolism, especially in early life. Maternal vaginal and gut microbiota is vertically transmitted to offspring during natural birth. Offspring born by cesarean section (CS) do not receive these bacteria and exhibit higher obesity risk later in life. The objective of this study was to examine differences in obesity risk between offspring born naturally (NB) or by CS to lean/obese dams.
Methods:
Lean and obese rat dams gave birth to offspring naturally or by CS. Offspring obesity risk was analyzed via body weight/composition, food intake, sucrose preference, gut microbiota, and gene expression in gut and brain tissues.
Results:
Obese (O)+CS offspring showed greater weight gain and caloric intake but a reduction in hypothalamic agouti related neuropeptide, neuropeptide Y, and interleukin 1β expression compared with O+NB offspring. Lean (L)+CS offspring had higher serum corticosterone concentration and reduced liver peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ expression compared with L+NB. O+CS offspring had long-term alterations to gut microbiota, including increased relative abundance of Faecalibaculum and reduced Muribaculaceae.
Conclusions:
Overall, CS alters obesity risk differentially based on maternal obesity status. Further studies looking at the risks of obesity associated with CS are needed, with special attention paid to maternal obesity status and gut microbiota.
