Project description:The liver is a major site for synthesis, storage and redistribution of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. In addition, it is well-known that maternal obesity (MO) increases risk of offspring cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and obesity. However, the mechanisms by which the MO intrauterine environment predisposes offspring to CVD and metabolic dysregulation are unknown. The goal of this study was to assess the impact of MO on primate fetal liver and identify underlying molecular mechanisms by which MO increases disease risk. The goal of this study was to identify candidate molecular mechanisms underlying MO in the near-term NHP fetal liver. This is the first study of NHP fetal MO livers using unbiased transcriptome analysis to quantify hepatic gene expression, identify dysregulated signaling pathways and potential miRNAs regulating the disrupted metabolic processes. Unbiased gene (arrays) and microRNA (miRNA; small RNA-Seq) abundances were quantified in near-term (0.9 Gestation (0.9G)) baboon fetal livers (control (CON) = 6; MO = 5) and subjected to pathway and network analyses (GeneSifter, Ingenuity® Pathway Analysis (IPA)) to identify a coordinated molecular response to MO. Lipid and glycogen content (CON = 16; MO = 16) were quantified by Computer Assisted Stereology Toolbox (CAST) in 0.9G livers.Pairwise comparisons showed 933 differentially expressed genes between CON and MO livers: 350 genes were upregulated and 583 were downregulated. Pathway analysis revealed upregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and downregulation of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, proteasome, oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis pathways in MO fetal livers compared with CON. Inversely expressed miRNAs that target genes in these pathways provide additional support for the importance of these pathways in fetal liver metabolic regulation. Consistent with the observed pathway changes in MO, we found hepatic lipid content was threefold greater in MO than CON fetal livers (p=0.02). Molecular genetic analyses of CON and MO fetal baboon livers revealed dysregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, TCA cycle, proteasome, oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis pathways in MO livers, all of which are central to fatty acid metabolism and lipid storage. The marked lipid accumulation in MO fetal livers supports our hypothesis that dysregulation of these pathways detrimentally impacts lipid management. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate the detrimental impact of MO on fetal liver development and suggest impaired hepatic function prior to birth.

Project description:Aside from the perinatal complications associated with low birth weight, individuals born with intra-uterine growth restriction suffer from chronic diseases late in life that ultimately lead to a shortened lifespan. These late life metabolic sequelae of low birth weight include obesity and metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, dyslipidemia, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/steatohepatitis. Animal models employing perinatal calorie restriction recapitulate the observations made in humans. Interestingly, if continued calorie restriction is employed post-natally the late life sequelae of intra-uterine growth restriction are ameliorated. These observations linking both fetal and early post natal growth to later health is now termed the developmental origins of health and disease. To further our understanding of the mechanism of how early growth affects late life health we have employed Affymetrix microarray-based expression profiling to characterize hepatic gene expression in a rat model of maternal semi-nutrient restriction. In these experiments we have limited maternal calorie intake to 50% of normal so as to create 3 groups of animals: Control (Con) male offspring born to mothers who were fed normally throughout gestation and lactation; intra-uterine calorie restricted male offspring (IUCR) born to mothers who had 50% restriction of calories from e11 to e21; and combined intra-uterine and post-natal calorie restriction (IPCR) male offspring who were born to mothers who received calorie restriction during both fetal growth (e11 to e21) and post-natally (p1-p21). Livers were collected at p21(day 21 of life) for Con and IPCR groups (IUCR withheld owing to ‘catch up” growth), and at p450 (day 450 of life) for Con, IUCR, and IPCR. The profiling data reveals clear alteration of circadian cycling at P21, and subtle changes for circadian gene expression at p450. In addition, a clear transcriptional response is found during active calorie restriction at p21 but an absence of a transcriptional response late in life at p450. Transcritional studies have been performed using Affymetrix Rat Gene 1.0 arrays for the following treatment groups, with each group run in triplicate (each replicate from separate littermates): Day 21 Control, Day 21 IPCR, Day 450 Con, Day 450 IUCR, Day 450 IPCR

Project description:The liver is a major site for synthesis, storage and redistribution of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. In addition, it is well-known that maternal obesity (MO) increases risk of offspring cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and obesity. However, the mechanisms by which the MO intrauterine environment predisposes offspring to CVD and metabolic dysregulation are unknown. The goal of this study was to assess the impact of MO on primate fetal liver and identify underlying molecular mechanisms by which MO increases disease risk. The goal of this study was to identify candidate molecular mechanisms underlying MO in the near-term non-human primate (NHP) fetal liver. This is the first study of NHP fetal MO livers using unbiased transcriptome analysis to quantify hepatic gene expression, identify dysregulated signaling pathways and potential miRNAs regulating the disrupted metabolic processes. Unbiased gene (arrays) and microRNA (miRNA; small RNA-Seq) abundances were quantified in near-term (0.9 Gestation (0.9G)) baboon fetal livers (control (CON) = 6; MO = 5) and subjected to pathway and network analyses (GeneSifter, Ingenuity® Pathway Analysis (IPA)) to identify a coordinated molecular response to MO. Lipid and glycogen content (CON = 16; MO = 16) were quantified by Computer Assisted Stereology Toolbox (CAST) in 0.9G livers. Pairwise comparisons showed 933 differentially expressed genes between CON and MO livers: 350 genes were upregulated and 583 were downregulated. Pathway analysis revealed upregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and downregulation of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, proteasome, oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis pathways in MO fetal livers compared with CON. Inversely expressed miRNAs that target genes in these pathways provide additional support for the importance of these pathways in fetal liver metabolic regulation. Consistent with the observed pathway changes in MO, we found hepatic lipid content was threefold greater in MO than CON fetal livers (p=0.02). Molecular genetic analyses of CON and MO fetal baboon livers revealed dysregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, TCA cycle, proteasome, oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis pathways in MO livers, all of which are central to fatty acid metabolism and lipid storage. The marked lipid accumulation in MO fetal livers supports our hypothesis that dysregulation of these pathways detrimentally impacts lipid management. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate the detrimental impact of MO on fetal liver development and suggest impaired hepatic function prior to birth.

Project description:Aside from the perinatal complications associated with low birth weight, individuals born with intra-uterine growth restriction suffer from chronic diseases late in life that ultimately lead to a shortened lifespan. These late life metabolic sequelae of low birth weight include obesity and metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, dyslipidemia, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/steatohepatitis. Animal models employing perinatal calorie restriction recapitulate the observations made in humans. Interestingly, if continued calorie restriction is employed post-natally the late life sequelae of intra-uterine growth restriction are ameliorated. These observations linking both fetal and early post natal growth to later health is now termed the developmental origins of health and disease. To further our understanding of the mechanism of how early growth affects late life health we have employed Affymetrix microarray-based expression profiling to characterize hepatic gene expression in a rat model of maternal semi-nutrient restriction. In these experiments we have limited maternal calorie intake to 50% of normal so as to create 3 groups of animals: Control (Con) male offspring born to mothers who were fed normally throughout gestation and lactation; intra-uterine calorie restricted male offspring (IUCR) born to mothers who had 50% restriction of calories from e11 to e21; and combined intra-uterine and post-natal calorie restriction (IPCR) male offspring who were born to mothers who received calorie restriction during both fetal growth (e11 to e21) and post-natally (p1-p21). Livers were collected at p21(day 21 of life) for Con and IPCR groups (IUCR withheld owing to ‘catch up” growth), and at p450 (day 450 of life) for Con, IUCR, and IPCR. The profiling data reveals clear alteration of circadian cycling at P21, and subtle changes for circadian gene expression at p450. In addition, a clear transcriptional response is found during active calorie restriction at p21 but an absence of a transcriptional response late in life at p450.

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Discovery of canonical and non-canonical miRNAs in brain frontal cortex in control and maternal nutrient restricted fetal baboon

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