Obese fathers lead to an altered metabolism and obesity in their children in adulthood: review of experimental and human studies
Journal Title: Jornal de Pediatria - Year 2017, Vol 93, Issue 6
Abstract
Objective To discuss the recent literature on paternal obesity, focusing on the possible mechanisms of transmission of the phenotypes from the father to the children. Sources A non-systematic review in the PubMed database found few publications in which paternal obesity was implicated in the adverse transmission of characteristics to offspring. Specific articles on epigenetics were also evaluated. As the subject is recent and still controversial, all articles were considered regardless of year of publication. Summary of findings Studies in humans and animals have established that paternal obesity impairs their hormones, metabolism, and sperm function, which can be transmitted to their offspring. In humans, paternal obesity results in insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes and increased levels of cortisol in umbilical cord blood, which increases the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Notably, there is an association between body fat in parents and the prevalence of obesity in their daughters. In animals, paternal obesity led to offspring alterations on glucose-insulin homeostasis, hepatic lipogenesis, hypothalamus/feeding behavior, kidney of the offspring; it also impairs the reproductive potential of male offspring with sperm oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. An explanation for these observations (human and animal) is epigenetics, considered the primary tool for the transmission of phenotypes from the father to offspring, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA. Conclusions Paternal obesity can induce programmed phenotypes in offspring through epigenetics. Therefore, it can be considered a public health problem, affecting the children's future life.
Authors and Affiliations
Carlos Mandarim-de-Lacerda
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP501176
- DOI 10.1016/j.jped.2017.02.004
- Views 50
- Downloads 0
Sensitivity and specificity of different measures of adiposity to distinguish between low/high motor coordination
Objective This study aimed to determine the ability of different measures of adiposity to discriminate between low/high motor coordination and to evaluate the relationship between different measures of adiposity and moto...
Current management of occult bacteremia in infants
Objectives To summarize the main clinical entities associated with fever without source (FWS) in infants, as well as the clinical management of children with occult bacteremia, emphasizing laboratory tests and empirical...
Application of tactile/kinesthetic stimulation in preterm infants: a systematic review
Objective To verify the methods used by the clinical trials that assessed the effect of tactile/kinesthetic stimulation on weight gain in preterm infants and highlight the similarities and differences among such studies....
Fidgety movements – tiny in appearance, but huge in impact
Objectives To describe fidgety movements (FMs), i.e., the spontaneous movement pattern that typically occurs at 3–5 months after term age, and discuss its clinical relevance. Sources A comprehensive literature search wa...
Pneumococcal meningitis: epidemiological profile pre- and post-introduction of the pneumococcal 10-valent conjugate vaccine
Objectives To evaluate the possible effects of the introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate 10-valent vaccine schedule in the state of Parana on pneumococcal meningitis cases and to assess the distribution of serotypes...