Maternal exercise intervention in obese pregnancy improves the cardiovascular health of the adult male offspring
Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Obesity during pregnancy is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease in the offspring. With increased numbers of women entering pregnancy overweight or obese, there is a requirement for targeted interventions to reduce disease risk in future generations. Using an established murine model of maternal obesity during pregnancy, we investigated if a treadmill exercise intervention in the mother could improve offspring cardiac health and explored potential underlying mechanisms. METHODS: A 20-minute treadmill exercise intervention protocol was performed 5 days a week in diet-induced obese female C57BL/6 mice 1 week prior to, and up to E17 of pregnancy. All male offspring were weaned onto a control diet and studied at 8 weeks of age when their cardiovascular physiology was assessed by in vivo echocardiography and non-invasive tail cuff plethysmography. Cardiomyocyte cell area, re-expression of fetal genes and the expression of calcium handling and sympathetic activation proteins were determined. RESULTS: At 8 weeks, there was no difference in bodyweight or fat mass between groups. Offspring of obese dams developed pathologic cardiac hypertrophy, hypertension and cardiac dysfunction characterized by reduced ejection fraction (p < 0.001). Maternal exercise prevented cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction but failed to prevent hypertension. These offspring of exercised dams also had enhanced (p < 0.001) levels of calcium handling proteins and a sympathetic-activated inotropic response. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise in obese pregnancy was beneficial to offspring cardiac function and structure but did not influence hypertension suggesting they are programmed by separate mechanistic pathways. These data suggest combination interventions in obese pregnancies will be required to improve all aspects of the cardiovascular health of the next generation.
Source: Molecular Metabolism
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,748
Awards: Isolating the effects of prenatal hypoxia in programming cardiovascular disease, G1956948480, RENEWAL: Programming of cardovascular dysfunction by prenatal hypoxia, glucocorticoids and oxidative stress, G2196624009, Programming offspring cardiac dysfunction by maternal diet-induced obesity – exploring the role of miRNAs, Early life origins of obesity: developmental programming of hypothalamic development and function., G3207356259, Mitochondrial targeted antioxidant therapy against programming of cardiovascular disease by developmental hypoxia, Hypoxia and Reactive Oxygen Species in Fetal Cardiovascular Function, G393177772, Cambridge 2nd intake 2014 – 4-year PhD Studentship (3rd) Scheme: Ms Jessica Beeson; Mr Ross Lindsay; Mr Cai Read; Ms Jessica Rees, A pharmacological intervention to prevent the effects of maternal diet-induced obesity on cardiovascular health and insulin resistance in the offspring, Effects of chronic hypoxia on fetal cardiovascular and endocrine functions in the sheep., Insulin and hypoxia: key determinants in the programming of cardiovascular disease by maternal obesity, Epigenetic programming of metabolic health across the life-course, G5251392869, Confidence in Concept 2012 - Cambridge, G5702163051, G6173803949, G6462974242, Cardiovascular dysfunction in the hypoxic fetus: intervention by mitochondria-targeted antioxidants. (Renewal), Molecular mechanisms by which poor early growth links coronary artery disease, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, G7522533730, Antioxidant strategies to prevent programmed cardiovascular dysfunction by isolated developmental hypoxia, Long-term effects of early nutrition on later health, G9000315498
OpenAlex ID: W2809354242