Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Long T. Nguyen, Carol A. Pollock, Sonia Saad
Summary: The developmental programming hypothesis suggests that adverse environmental insults during critical developmental periods increase the risk of diseases in later life. Kidneys are susceptible to such insults, particularly due to peri-gestational nutrition, which affects kidney development and metabolism. Recent studies have identified oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, epigenetic modifications, and metabolic changes as potential novel pathways for therapeutic intervention.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Stephanie M. Kereliuk, Vernon W. Dolinsky
Summary: Globally, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death, and the increasing cardiovascular risk factors among youth, such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, contribute to the development of earlier and more severe cardiovascular disease. Recent evidence suggests that maternal obesity and diabetes during pregnancy have lifelong effects on cardiovascular risk factors and heart disease development in the offspring, although the mechanisms for these observations are unclear.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Developmental Biology
Lawrence P. Reynolds, Wellison J. S. Diniz, Matthew S. Crouse, Joel S. Caton, Carl R. Dahlen, Pawel P. Borowicz, Alison K. Ward
Summary: Developmental programming refers to the long-term changes in gene expression caused by stressors during development, which can affect organ structure and function. Maternal nutrition plays a crucial role in the developmental program. Future research should focus on the effects of developmental programming on the offspring's life course and subsequent generations, as well as utilizing the positive aspects of developmental programming.
REPRODUCTION FERTILITY AND DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Xiaoqi Zhao, Bin Li, Ying Xiong, Zhiping Xia, Shuangshuang Hu, Zhaoxia Sun, Hui Wang, Ying Ao
Summary: Epidemiological studies have shown that prenatal caffeine exposure (PCE) can cause fetal kidney dysplasia and adult glomerulosclerosis in female offspring. The low expression of AT2R and GC-IGF1 programming alteration were observed in the kidney of F1 offspring from PCE group. Furthermore, the renal defect and GC-IGF1 programming alteration were inherited by F2 female offspring, but the low expression of AT2R did not extend to the F2 generation. This study provides experimental evidence for the intergenerational inheritance of kidney developmental toxicity caused by PCE.
FOOD AND CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Megan G. McGill, Irina Pokhvisneva, Andrew S. Clappison, Lisa M. McEwen, Roseriet Beijers, Marieke S. Tollenaar, Hung Pham, Michelle Z. L. Kee, Elika Garg, Euclides J. de Mendonca Filho, Neerja Karnani, Patricia P. Silveira, Michael S. Kobor, Carolina de Weerth, Michael J. Meaney, Kieran J. O'Donnell
Summary: Prenatal maternal anxiety predicts child PedBE epigenetic age acceleration, predominantly in males. PedBE age acceleration predicts increased externalizing symptoms in males in the BIBO cohort.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Yuri Karen Sinzato, Veronyca Goncalves Paula, Franciane Quintanilha Gallego, Rafaianne Q. Moraes-Souza, Jose Eduardo Corrente, Gustavo Tadeu Volpato, Debora Cristina Damasceno
Summary: Maternal diabetes and high-fat diet have similar adverse effects on the health of F1 and F2 generations, including infertility, decreased insulin sensitivity, and fetal growth restriction. The combination of both factors also results in increased lipoperoxidation, decreased glucose tolerance, and increased fetal leptin levels.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Saskia Osendarp, Jonathan Kweku Akuoku, Robert E. Black, Derek Headey, Marie Ruel, Nick Scott, Meera Shekar, Neff Walker, Augustin Flory, Lawrence Haddad, David Laborde, Angela Stegmuller, Milan Thomas, Rebecca Heidkamp
Summary: The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on maternal and child nutrition outcomes in low- and middle-income countries is projected under different scenarios, with a focus on mitigating excess child stunting and mortality through nutrition interventions. The disruptions caused by the pandemic could lead to an increase in wasted and stunted children, along with additional child deaths and maternal anaemia cases. Governments and donors will need to invest additional resources to scale up nutrition interventions and address the potential long-term productivity losses.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jill M. Goldstein, Justine E. Cohen, Klara Mareckova, Laura Holsen, Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli, Stephen E. Gilman, Stephen L. Buka, Mady Hornig
Summary: The study revealed that maternal exposure to proinflammatory cytokines during pregnancy can impact gender-specific brain development and functional connectivity of offspring, persisting throughout the offspring's lifespan.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Zhenxian Jia, Hongling Zhang, Ling Yu, Feng Qiu, Yiqing Lv, Jing Guan, Huiqing Gang, Jingwen Zuo, Tongzhang Zheng, Hongxiu Liu, Wei Xia, Shunqing Xu, Yuanyuan Li
Summary: This prospective cohort study found an association between prenatal lead exposure and increased risk of cognitive developmental delay (CDD) in children with high genetic risk. These findings suggest that prenatal lead exposure and genetic background may jointly contribute to an increased risk of CDD in children, indicating the possibility for an integrated strategy to assess CDD risk and improve children's cognitive ability.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Sarah McCoski, Amanda Bradbery, Rodrigo da Silva Marques, Christian Posbergh, Carla Sanford
Summary: Current research on the interaction between maternal nutrition and developmental programming in male offspring primarily focuses on the effects of maternal diet on female offspring, with less attention on male offspring. Poor maternal nutrition can lead to various maladaptive phenotypes in offspring, but the specific outcomes in male offspring remain poorly understood.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Melanie Breton-Larrivee, Elizabeth Elder, Lisa-Marie Legault, Alexandra Langford-Avelar, Amanda J. MacFarlane, Serge McGraw
Summary: Fetal alcohol exposure during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), which is characterized by congenital malformations and cognitive, behavioral, and emotional impairments. Alcohol abstinence is the only way to prevent FASD, but many pregnant women still consume alcohol. Maternal nutritional interventions using methyl donors have been investigated as potential preventative measures to mitigate the adverse effects of fetal alcohol exposure.
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Izabela Michonska, Edyta Luszczki, Magdalena Zielinska, Lukasz Oleksy, Artur Stolarczyk, Katarzyna Deren
Summary: Childhood obesity and associated diseases are major problems in modern medicine and public health. The impact of these issues extends beyond the present and immediate future, affecting long-term adult health. Nutritional programming theory explores how a child's birth weight, influenced by maternal feeding behavior, relates to diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. This narrative review provides an overview of the history, theory, and prenatal mechanisms of nutritional programming in relation to childhood obesity and other metabolic diseases.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zorimar Rivera-Nunez, Carolyn W. Kinkade, Leena Khoury, Jessica Brunner, Hannah Murphy, Christina Wang, Kurunthachalam Kannan, Richard K. Miller, Thomas G. O'Connor, Emily S. Barrett
Summary: The study found that maternal serum levels of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are associated with sex steroid hormone levels during pregnancy. Specifically, PFHxS is associated with increased testosterone levels in male fetuses, while PFNA and PFDA are associated with increased free testosterone levels in male fetuses. For female fetuses, PFHxS is associated with increased levels of estradiol and estriol. No associations were found for PFOS and PFOA.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Flaviano Lorenzon, Tamires Gregorio, Fernanda Niebisch, Rafaela C. K. Stolte, Gustavo J. dos Santos, Alex Rafacho, Fernanda B. Lima
Summary: Exposure to dexamethasone during pregnancy can disrupt glucose homeostasis in offspring, with older male offspring being more susceptible. Maternal vitamin D administration does not impact glucose tolerance, but can mitigate insulin resistance and liver lipid accumulation in male offspring.
JOURNAL OF STEROID BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Hunter W. Korsmo, Isma'il Kadam, Aziza Reaz, Rachel Bretter, Anjana Saxena, Caroline H. Johnson, Jorge Matias Caviglia, Xinyin Jiang
Summary: Maternal obesity during pregnancy has negative effects on offspring health, increasing the risk of metabolic diseases such as MAFLD. Choline, an important nutrient involved in lipid metabolism, is compromised in MAFLD. This study investigated how maternal choline supplementation influenced the hepatic lipidome of mouse offspring under obesogenic feeding. The results show that maternal choline supplementation increased the abundance of plasmalogens, a subclass of phospholipids, in the liver of offspring. This protective response may help mitigate the damages caused by high-fat feeding.
Article
Anesthesiology
Natasha Clunies-Ross, Thomas M. Roston, James Taylor, Simon Whyte, Arianne Albert, Matthias Gorges, Anthony Chau
Summary: The study evaluated the effect of carbetocin on Tp-e and QTc intervals during elective cesarean delivery. Results showed a minimal prolongation of Tp-e in the C100 group compared to the C50 group, with significant increase in QTc in both groups after carbetocin administration. However, there was no apparent dose-dependent effect on the changes observed.
ANESTHESIA AND ANALGESIA
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Lulu X. Pei, Hou Kroeun, Suzanne M. Vercauteren, Susan Barr, Tim J. Green, Arianne Y. Albert, Crystal D. Karakochuk
Summary: This study analyzed the predictive value of ten baseline hematological biomarkers for a 12-week hemoglobin response to iron supplementation in Cambodian women. The results showed that Hb measured with a hematology analyzer, inflammation-adjusted ferritin, and hepcidin were strong predictors of Hb response, indicating their potential as indicators for assessing the efficacy of iron supplementation.
JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
(2021)
Article
Anesthesiology
Natasha L. Orr, Kate J. Wahl, Michelle Lisonek, Angela Joannou, Heather Noga, Arianne Albert, Mohamed A. Bedaiwy, Christina Williams, Catherine Allaire, Paul J. Yong
Summary: This study explored the concept of using a CSI cutoff of 40 to identify patients with endometriosis who have pain associated with central nervous system sensitization. A significant correlation was found between the number of central sensitivity syndromes (CSS) and pain scores, as well as the CSI score. A CSI cutoff of 40 demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in identifying patients with >= 3 CSS, suggesting its potential as a practical tool in clinical settings.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Paula Duarte-Guterman, Arianne Y. Albert, Cindy K. Barha, Liisa A. M. Galea
Summary: The study found that females exhibit greater neuropathology and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease, but these effects vary depending on diagnosis and APOE genotype. Females may experience more severe memory decline compared to males, and the APOE genotype has different effects on AD neuropathology in males and females.
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Charles Litwin, Laurie Smith, Robine Donken, Mel Krajden, Dirk van Niekerk, Monika Naus, Darrel Cook, Arianne Albert, Gina Ogilvie
Summary: This study re-evaluated the prevalence of hrHPV in women undergoing cervical cancer screening in BC after 10 years of publicly funded HPV vaccination, showing a decline in HPV16/18 prevalence in vaccine-eligible women.
Article
Immunology
Sarai Racey, Robine Donken, Imogen Porter, Arianne Albert, Julie A. Bettinger, Jennifer Mark, Lizl Bonifacio, Meena Dawar, Mike Gagel, Rakel Kling, Silvina Mema, Hana Mitchell, Ian Roe, Gina Ogilvie, Manish Sadarangani
Summary: In British Columbia, a high proportion of public school teachers have expressed intentions to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Factors influencing their intention include sociodemographic factors, vaccine hesitancy, general vaccine knowledge, and perception of the severity of COVID-19. Continued monitoring of vaccine intentions will be crucial for informing public health vaccine implementation.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Amy M. Inkster, Paula Duarte-Guterman, Arianne Y. Albert, Cindy K. Barha, Liisa A. M. Galea, Wendy P. Robinson
Summary: Sex, cognitive impairment diagnosis, and APOE ε4 allele load are not associated with epigenetic age acceleration in Alzheimer's disease, but females exhibit more accelerated epigenetic aging in the transition from normal cognition to cognitive impairment using the Skin & Blood clock.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lori A. Brotto, Kyle Chankasingh, Alexandra Baaske, Arianne Albert, Amy Booth, Angela Kaida, Laurie W. Smith, Sarai Racey, Anna Gottschlich, Melanie C. M. Murray, Manish Sadarangani, Gina S. Ogilvie, Liisa Galea
Summary: This study used a gender-based analysis to evaluate the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, finding significant effects of different pandemic phases on all psychosocial outcomes, with gender, age, ethnicity, and Indigenous status being associated with these impacts.
Review
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Julian K. Christians
Summary: Fetal sex impacts pregnancy complications and long-term health effects of prenatal environment, with placenta playing a crucial role. Sexual dimorphism may affect gene expression, responses to nutrient supply, and histopathology, but there is no clear pattern supporting the hypothesis that one sex is more responsive. More robust statistical approaches are needed to test for sex-dependent effects in order to reduce spurious results.
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ken Thompson, Catherine H. Peichel, Diana K. Rennison, Matthew R. McGee, Arianne Y. K. Albert, Timothy Vines, Anna Greenwood, Abigail Wark, Yaniv Brandvain, Molly Schumer, Dolph Schluter
Summary: This study provides evidence for the presence of environment-dependent hybrid incompatibility in stickleback fish, suggesting that extrinsic incompatibilities can evolve before intrinsic incompatibilities.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Julian K. Christians, Natalie A. Chow
Summary: The hypothesis that males prioritize growth over placental development in the prenatal stage, making them more susceptible to early-life adversity, was not strongly supported in this study. Despite differences in birthweight, there was no significant variation in the effects of early-life adversity between males and females. Analyzing the sexes separately rather than testing the interaction between sex and adversity may lead to misleading sex-specific effects.
JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL ORIGINS OF HEALTH AND DISEASE
(2022)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Julian K. Christians, Saboura Ahmadzadeh-Seddeighi, Alishba Bilal, Anastasia Bogdanovic, Rebecca Ho, Estee V. Leung, Megan A. MacGregor, Nolan M. Nadasdy, Gabriella M. Principe
Summary: Early life environmental conditions and adversities, such as premature birth and low birthweight, have long-lasting effects on cognitive abilities and behavioral problems in children. However, there is no consistent difference between boys and girls in the effects of prematurity and low birthweight on these outcomes. This study shows that prematurity and low birthweight have similar long-term effects on intelligence and behavior in both boys and girls.
BIOLOGY OF SEX DIFFERENCES
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Manon Ranger, Arianne Albert, Karon MacLean, Liisa Holsti
Summary: The novel device Calmer mimics skin-to-skin holding to reduce stress in preterm infants during painful procedures. A feasibility trial showed that Calmer worked better than no treatment and similarly to facilitated tucking (FT) for reducing pain scores. The device showed potential for filling the gap when parents or FT are not available.