Impact of Maternal Obesity on Offspring microRNA Profiles: A Systematic Review of Experimental Models
Randriely Merscher Sobreira de Lima1, Pauline Maciel August2, Ariadni Mesquita Peres2
1Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Background:
Maternal malnutrition, including obesity, can have long-term adverse effects on offspring health, potentially mediated by epigenetic mechanisms such as microRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs play a critical role in regulating gene expression and may contribute to the developmental programming of offspring outcomes. This systematic review aimed to explore the association between maternal obesity during pregnancy and miRNA alterations in offspring, focusing on evidence from animal models.
Methods:
A comprehensive search of Embase, PubMed, and Scopus databases identified 811 articles, of which 15 met the inclusion criteria.
Results:
Our analysis highlighted a great variability of miRNAs and target tissues studied. Across the reviewed studies, 35 miRNAs were identified as differentially expressed in offspring exposed to maternal high-fat diets during pregnancy. These alterations were predominantly observed in the brain, liver, cardiac tissue, and adipose tissue, affecting processes related to insulin signaling, development and growth, immune response, and lipid metabolism.
Conclusions:
The miRNA alterations observed across studies support the hypothesis that a maternal high-fat diet may induce a programmed epigenetic signature in offspring.
More Related Videos
09:09Generating a Reproducible Model of Mid-Gestational Maternal Immune Activation using Poly(I:C) to Study Susceptibility and Resilience in Offspring
Published on: August 17, 2022
03:19Modifying Levels of Maternal Dietary Folic Acid or Choline to Study the Impact of Deficiencies on Offspring Health Outcomes
Published on: June 28, 2024
Related Concept Videos
02:30Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
01:24Obesity