Epigenetics: Linking Early Postnatal Nutrition to Obesity Programming?

Despite constant research and public policy efforts, the obesity epidemic continues to be a major public health threat, and new approaches are urgently needed. It has been shown that nutrient imbalance in early life, from conception to infancy, influences later obesity risk, suggesting that obesity...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrients Vol. 11; no. 12; p. 2966
Main Authors: Marousez, Lucie, Lesage, Jean, Eberlé, Delphine
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 05.12.2019
MDPI
Subjects:
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Breast Feeding
Cellular Reprogramming - genetics
Child Development
DNA methylation
DNA Methylation - genetics
Energy Metabolism - genetics
Epigenesis, Genetic - genetics
Epigenetics
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Infant
Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena - genetics
Infant, Newborn
Male
Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Nutrition
Obesity
Obesity - genetics
Pediatric Obesity - genetics
Review
DNA methylation
breast milk
early postnatal nutrition
epigenetics
obesity
developmental programming
ISSN:2072-6643, 2072-6643
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Despite constant research and public policy efforts, the obesity epidemic continues to be a major public health threat, and new approaches are urgently needed. It has been shown that nutrient imbalance in early life, from conception to infancy, influences later obesity risk, suggesting that obesity could result from “developmental programming”. In this review, we evaluate the possibility that early postnatal nutrition programs obesity risk via epigenetic mechanisms, especially DNA methylation, focusing on four main topics: (1) the dynamics of epigenetic processes in key metabolic organs during the early postnatal period; (2) the epigenetic effects of alterations in early postnatal nutrition in animal models or breastfeeding in humans; (3) current limitations and remaining outstanding questions in the field of epigenetic programming; (4) candidate pathways by which early postnatal nutrition could epigenetically program adult body weight set point. A particular focus will be given to the potential roles of breast milk fatty acids, neonatal metabolic and hormonal milieu, and gut microbiota. Understanding the mechanisms by which early postnatal nutrition can promote lifelong metabolic modifications is essential to design adequate recommendations and interventions to “de-program” the obesity epidemic.
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ISSN:2072-6643
2072-6643
DOI:10.3390/nu11122966