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Investigating the IGF axis as a pathway for intergenerational effects.

Haley B Ragsdale1, Aaron A Miller1, Thomas W McDade1,2

  • 1Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.

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PubMed
Summary

Maternal early adulthood energy stores, not early development, predict pregnancy insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis biomarkers and offspring fetal growth. This suggests recent maternal nutrition, not early development, influences fetal development via the IGF axis.

Keywords:
IGF axisIntergenerationalgrowthnutritional statuspregnancy

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Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Health
  • Developmental Biology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Early life nutrition and growth significantly influence adult metabolic and reproductive health, impacting subsequent generations.
  • The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis is crucial for growth and metabolism, but its role in mediating maternal experiences to offspring prenatal development is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between maternal early nutritional status, energy stores, and the pregnancy insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis.
  • To examine how maternal IGF axis biomarkers predict offspring fetal growth.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (n=36).
  • Analyzed maternal weight gain at ages 2, 8, and 22, and leptin at age 22 (energy stores).
  • Assessed pregnancy free IGF-1 and IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) and their association with offspring birth weight and skinfold thickness.

Main Results:

  • Maternal age, parity, and young adult leptin levels were associated with pregnancy free IGF-1, offspring birth weight, and skinfold thickness.
  • Pregnancy free IGF-1 levels correlated more strongly with early adulthood nutritional status than with pre-adult developmental nutrition.
  • Young adult leptin levels significantly impacted offspring fetal fat mass deposition.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal early adulthood energy status, reflected by leptin, is a key predictor of pregnancy IGF axis function and offspring fetal growth.
  • The IGF axis appears to reflect recent maternal energy status rather than long-term developmental nutrition in predicting fetal development.
  • Alternative pathways, not involving the maternal IGF axis, may mediate the previously observed link between maternal developmental nutrition and offspring birth size.