Early-Life Nutritional Programming of Cognition-The Fundamental Role of Epigenetic Mechanisms in Mediating the Relation between Early-Life Environment and Learning and Memory Process

Epigenetics, Nutrition, and the Brain: Improving Mental Health through Diet

The relationship between nutrition and brain health is intricate. Studies suggest that nutrients during early life impact not only human physiology but also mental health. Although the exact molecular mechanisms that depict this relationship remain unclear, there are indications that environmental factors such as eating, lifestyle habits, stress, and physical activity, influence our genes and modulate their function by epigenetic mechanisms to shape mental health outcomes. Epigenetic mechanisms act as crucial link between genes and environmental influences, proving that non-genetic factors could have enduring effects on the epigenome and influence health trajectories. We review studies that demonstrated an epigenetic mechanism of action of nutrition on mental health, focusing on the role of specific micronutrients during critical stages of brain development. The methyl-donor micronutrients of the one-carbon metabolism, such as choline, betaine, methionine, folic acid, VitB6 and VitB12 play critical roles in various physiological processes, including DNA and histone methylation. These micronutrients have been shown to alter gene function and susceptibility to diseases including mental health and metabolic disorders. Understanding how micronutrients influence metabolic genes in humans can lead to the implementation of early nutritional interventions to reduce the risk of developing metabolic and mental health disorders later in life.

Long-Term Effects of Maternal Fat Consumption on the Brain Transcriptome of Obesogenic Diet-Fed Young Adult Mice Offspring

BACKGROUND

Substantial evidence has demonstrated that maternal high-fat (HF) consumption during gestation and lactation plays as a risk factor for neurodevelopmental alterations and subsequent neurological disorders.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the regulatory mechanisms of maternal fat consumption on brain development and function in offspring at different ages.

METHODS

Mouse dams were fed either a control diet [low-fat (LF)] or an HF diet for 3 wk before mating and throughout pregnancy and lactation. Offspring were killed at postnatal day (PD) 21 (LF21 and HF21), and the rest were fed an HF diet for 12 wk until the killing at PD 105 (LF105 and HF105). The expression levels of genes and proteins in the brains of offspring were analyzed by microarray and immunoblotting, respectively.

RESULTS

Maternal dietary fat content, offspring age, and their interaction affected the expression levels of 1215, 10,453, and 2105 genes, respectively. The 67 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the HF21 and LF21 groups were enriched in several Gene Ontology terms related to nervous system development. Among 45 DEGs of the HF105/LF105 comparison, several genes associated with neurotransmitter action are detected. In addition, we observed increased activation of the AMP-dependent protein kinase-cAMP response element binding protein signaling pathway in HF105/LF105 comparison. However, maternal fat content did not change the protein levels of amyloid-β and tau hyperphosphorylation, the markers of neuropathogenesis.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal HF feeding altered the expression of genes involved in the development and neurotransmitter system in the brains of PD 21 and HF diet-fed PD 105 offspring, respectively. Especially, the absence of overlap between DEGs at each comparison highlights the dynamic nature of alterations in gene expression in offspring of dams fed an HF diet. Further investigation on older adult offspring is necessary to elucidate the effects of maternal fat intake on the brain pathophysiology of offspring.

The Effect of Maternal Diet and Physical Activity on the Epigenome of the Offspring

The aim of this review was to examine the current literature regarding the effect of maternal lifestyle interventions (i.e., diet and physical activity) on the epigenome of the offspring. PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane-CENTRAL were screened until 8 July 2023. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) where a lifestyle intervention was compared to no intervention (standard care) were included. Outcome variables included DNA methylation, miRNA expression, and histone modifications. A qualitative approach was used for the consideration of the studies' results. Seven studies and 1765 mother-child pairs were assessed. The most common types of intervention were dietary advice, physical activity, and following a specific diet (olive oil). The included studies correlated the lifestyle and physical activity intervention in pregnancy to genome-wide or gene-specific differential methylation and miRNA expression in the cord blood or the placenta. An intervention of diet and physical activity in pregnancy was found to be associated with slight changes in the epigenome (DNA methylation and miRNA expression) in fetal tissues. The regions involved were related to adiposity, metabolic processes, type 2 diabetes, birth weight, or growth. However, not all studies showed significant differences in DNA methylation. Further studies with similar parameters are needed to have robust and comparable results and determine the biological role of such modifications.

Development and validation of a novel food exchange system for Chinese pregnant women

BACKGROUND

The dietary nutritional status of pregnant women is critical for maintaining the health of both mothers and infants. Food exchange systems have been employed in the nutritional guidance of patients in China, although their application in the dietary guidance of healthy pregnant women is quite limited. This study aimed to develop a novel food exchange system for Chinese pregnant women (NFES-CPW) and evaluate the relative validation of its application.

METHODS

NFES-CPW covers approximately 500 types of food from ten categories and has more elaborate food portion sizes. It established a recommendation index for guiding food selection and used energy, water content, and protein as the exchange basis to balance the supply of energy and important nutrients throughout pregnancy. Furthermore, dietitians used the NFES-CPW and traditional food exchange system to generate new recipes based on the sample recipe. There were 40 derived recipes for each of the two food exchange methods. The food consumption, energy, and key nutrients of each recipe were calculated, and the differences between the two food exchange systems were compared using the Wilcoxon rank sum test or the Chi-square test.

RESULTS

The results revealed that compared to those derived from traditional food exchange system, the NFES-CPW derived recipes had a better dietary structure, as evidenced by the intakes of whole-grain cereals, beans excluding soybeans, potatoes, fruits, fish, shrimp and shellfish, as well as eggs (P < 0.05), which were more conducive to reaching the recommended range of balanced dietary pagoda. After calculating energy and nutrients, although these two food exchange systems have similar effects on the dietary energy and macronutrient intake of pregnant women, the intake of micronutrients in NFES-CPW derived recipes was significantly higher than that from the traditional food exchange system, which was more conducive to meeting the dietary requirements of pregnant women. The outstanding improvement are primarily vitamin A, vitamin B2, folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and iodine (P < 0.05). Moreover, when compared to recipes obtained from the traditional food exchange system, the error ranges of energy and most nutrients were significantly reduced after employing the NFES-CPW.

CONCLUSIONS

Therefore, NFES-CPW is an appropriate tool that adheres to Chinese dietary characteristics and can provide suitable dietary guidance to pregnant women.

Epigenetic regulation of metabotropic glutamate 2/3 receptors: Potential role for ultra-resistant schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a severe and debilitating psychiatric disorder characterized by early cognitive deficits, emotional and behavioral abnormalities resulted by a dysfunctional gene x environment interaction. Genetic and epigenetic abnormalities in cortical parvalbumin-positive GABAergic interneurons lead to alterations in glutamate-mediated excitatory neurotransmission, synaptic plasticity, and neuronal development. Epigenetic alterations during pregnancy or early phases of postnatal life are associated with schizophrenia vulnerability as well as inflammatory processes which are at the basis of brain pathology. An epigenetic animal model of schizophrenia showed specific changes in promoter DNA methylation activity of genes related to schizophrenia such as reelin, BDNF and GAD67, and altered expression and function of mGlu2/3 receptors in the frontal cortex. Although antipsychotic medications represent the main treatment for schizophrenia and generally show an optimal efficacy profile for positive symptoms and relatively poor efficacy for negative or cognitive symptoms, a considerable percentage of individuals show poor response, do not achieve a complete remission, and approximately 30 % of patients show treatment-resistance. Here, we explore the potential role of epigenetic abnormalities linked to metabotropic glutamate 2/3 receptors changes in expression and function as key molecular factors underlying the difference in response to antipsychotics.

Smell and taste of milk during tube feeding of preterm infants: neurodevelopmental follow-up of the randomized TASTE trial, study protocol

BACKGROUND

The Taste And Smell To Enhance nutrition (TASTE) trial investigated the effects of smell and taste of milk with tube feeding compared to routine care on the growth of preterm infants. There was no difference between groups in growth (weight, head circumference, length) z-scores at discharge from the hospital. Infants in the intervention group had higher head circumference and length z-scores at 36 weeks postmenstrual age, both secondary outcomes. The objective of this follow-up study is to assess 2-year neurodevelopmental and growth outcomes after exposure of preterm infants to the smell and taste of milk with tube feeding compared to routine care.

METHODS

This is a neurodevelopmental follow-up study of a two-center, placebo-controlled randomized trial. Infants born before 29 weeks postmenstrual age and/or with a birth weight of less than 1250 g were randomized to smell and taste of milk with each tube feed or routine care. The current follow-up assessed the 2-year neurodevelopmental and growth outcomes of participants of the TASTE trial discharged from the hospital (n = 334). The primary outcome is survival free of any major neurodevelopmental impairment comprising any moderate/severe cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Function Classification System score II-V), Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third/Fourth Edition (Bayley-III/Bayley-4) motor, cognitive, or language scores < -2SD, blindness, or deafness at 2 years of age. Other outcomes include death, breastfeeding within the first year, and respiratory support, oral feeding, and anthropometric parameters at 2 years of age. The Human Research Ethics Committees of Mater Misericordiae Limited and the Royal Women's Hospital approved the TASTE trial including the neurodevelopmental follow-up described in this protocol.

DISCUSSION

For patients and their families, the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants are of utmost importance. Consequently, they should be investigated following any interventional study performed during the newborn period. Furthermore, improved weight gain and head growth in the hospital are associated with better long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. Smelling and tasting of milk is an uncomplicated and cost-effective intervention that may improve the growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants. Potential limitations affecting this follow-up study, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, are anticipated and discussed in this protocol.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Name of the registry: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry; Registration number: ACTRN12617000583347 ; Registration date: 26 April 2017.

Peripubertal Alterations of Leptin Levels in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Elevated or Normal Body Weight

Leptin, which plays a key role in energy homeostasis, is known as a neurotrophic factor possibly linking nutrition and neurodevelopment. Available data on the association between leptin and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are confusing. The aim of this study was to explore whether plasma levels of leptin in pre- and post-pubertal children with ASD and/or overweightness/obesity differ from those of BMI- and age-matched healthy controls. Leptin levels were determined in 287 pre-pubertal children (mean age 8.09 years), classified as follows: ASD with overweightness/obesity (ASD+/Ob+); ASD without overweightness/obesity (ASD+/Ob-); non-ASD with overweightness/obesity (ASD-/Ob+); non-ASD without overweightness/obesity (ASD-/Ob-). The assessment was repeated in 258 of the children post-pubertally (mean age 14.26 years). There were no significant differences in leptin levels either before or after puberty between ASD+/Ob+ and ASD-/Ob+ or between ASD+/Ob- and ASD-/Ob-, although there was a strong trend toward significance for higher pre-pubertal leptin levels in ASD+/Ob- than in ASD-/Ob-. Post-pubertal leptin levels were significantly lower than pre-pubertal levels in ASD+/Ob+, ASD-/Ob+, and ASD+/Ob- and higher in ASD-/Ob-. Leptin levels, elevated pre-pubertally in the children with overweightness/obesity as well as in children with ASD and normal BMI, decrease with age, in contrast to the increasing leptin levels in healthy controls.

Impact of Nut Consumption on Cognition across the Lifespan

Cognitive health is a life-long concern affected by modifiable risk factors, including lifestyle choices, such as dietary intake, with serious implications for quality of life, morbidity, and mortality worldwide. In addition, nuts are a nutrient-dense food that contain a number of potentially neuroprotective components, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber, B-vitamins, non-sodium minerals, and highly bioactive polyphenols. However, increased nut consumption relates to a lower cardiovascular risk and a lower burden of cardiovascular risk factors that are shared with neurodegenerative disorders, which is why nuts have been hypothesized to be beneficial for brain health. The present narrative review discusses up-to-date epidemiological, clinical trial, and mechanistic evidence of the effect of exposure to nuts on cognitive performance. While limited and inconclusive, available evidence suggests a possible role for nuts in the maintenance of cognitive health and prevention of cognitive decline in individuals across the lifespan, particularly in older adults and those at higher risk. Walnuts, as a rich source of the plant-based polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, are the nut type most promising for cognitive health. Given the limited definitive evidence available to date, especially regarding cognitive health biomarkers and hard outcomes, future studies are needed to better elucidate the impact of nuts on the maintenance of cognitive health, as well as the prevention and management of cognitive decline and dementia, including Alzheimer disease.

Functional Nutrition as Integrated Intervention for In- and Outpatient with Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic and progressive disorder characterized by cognitive, emotional, and behavioral abnormalities associated with neuronal development and synaptic plasticity alterations. Genetic and epigenetic abnormalities in cortical parvalbumin-positive GABAergic interneurons and consequent alterations in glutamate-mediated excitatory neurotransmission during early neurodevelopment underlie schizophrenia manifestation and progression. Also, epigenetic alterations during pregnancy or early phases of postnatal life are associated with schizophrenia vulnerability and inflammatory processes, which are at the basis of brain pathology and a higher risk of comorbidities, including cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome. In addition, schizophrenia patients adopt an unhealthy lifestyle and poor nutrition, leading to premature death. Here, I explored the role of functional nutrition as an integrated intervention for the long-term management of patients with schizophrenia. Several natural bioactive compounds in plant-based whole foods, including flavonoids, phytonutrients, vitamins, fatty acids, and minerals, modulate brain functioning by targeting neuroinflammation and improving cognitive decline. Although further clinical studies are needed, a functional diet rich in natural bioactive compounds might be effective in synergism with standard treatments to improve schizophrenia symptoms and reduce the risk of comorbidities.

A perspective on diet, epigenetics and complex diseases: where is the field headed next?

Dietary factors can regulate epigenetic processes during life, modulating the intracellular pools of metabolites necessary for epigenetic reactions and regulating the activity of epigenetic enzymes. Their effects are strong during the prenatal life, when epigenetic patterns are written, allowing organogenesis. However, interactions between diet and the epigenome continue throughout life and likely contribute to the onset and progression of various complex diseases. Here, we review the contribution of dietary factors to the epigenetic changes observed in complex diseases and suggest future steps to better address this issue, focusing on neurobehavioral, neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular diseases, obesity and Type 2 diabetes, cancer and inflammatory skin diseases.

Food Insecurity and Maternal Diet Influence Human Milk Composition between the Infant's Birth and 6 Months after Birth in Central-Africa

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF recommend that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life, evidence is scarce on how the mother’s undernourishment status at delivery and maternal dietary factors influence human milk (HM) composition during the first 6 months of life in regions with high food insecurity. The maternal undernourishment status at delivery, maternal diet, and HM nutrients were assessed among 46 women and their 48 vaginally born infants in Bangui at 1, 4, 11, 18, and 25 weeks after birth through 24-h recalls and food consumption questionnaires from December 2017 to June 2019 in the context of the "Mother-to-Infant TransmIssion of microbiota in Central-Africa" (MITICA) study. High food insecurity indexes during the follow-up were significantly associated with them having lower levels of many of the human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) that were measured and with lower levels of retinol (aß-coef = −0.2, p value = 0.04), fatty acids (aß-coef = −7.2, p value = 0.03), and amino acids (aß-coef = −2121.0, p value < 0.001). On the contrary, women from food-insecure households displayed significantly higher levels of lactose in their HM (aß-coef = 3.3, p value = 0.02). In parallel, the consumption of meat, poultry, and fish was associated with higher HM levels of many of the HMOs that were measured, total amino acids (aß-coef = 5484.4, p value < 0.001), and with lower HM levels of lactose (aß-coef = −15.6, p value = 0.01). Food insecurity and maternal diet had a meaningful effect on HM composition with a possible impact being an infant undernourishment risk. Our results plead for consistent actions on food security as an effective manner to influence the nutritional content of HM and thereby, potentially improve infant survival and healthy growth.

Cell-type-specific epigenetic effects of early life stress on the brain

Early life stress (ELS) induces long-term phenotypic adaptations that contribute to increased vulnerability to a host of neuropsychiatric disorders. Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNA, are a proposed link between environmental stressors, alterations in gene expression, and phenotypes. Epigenetic modifications play a primary role in shaping functional differences between cell types and can be modified by environmental perturbations, especially in early development. Together with contributions from genetic variation, epigenetic mechanisms orchestrate patterns of gene expression within specific cell types that contribute to phenotypic variation between individuals. To date, many studies have provided insights into epigenetic changes resulting from ELS. However, most of these studies have examined heterogenous brain tissue, despite evidence of cell-type-specific epigenetic modifications in phenotypes associated with ELS. In this review, we focus on rodent and human studies that have examined epigenetic modifications induced by ELS in select cell types isolated from the brain or associated with genes that have cell-type-restricted expression in neurons, microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Although significant challenges remain, future studies using these approaches can enable important mechanistic insight into the role of epigenetic variation in the effects of ELS on brain function.

Novel intrauterine growth retardation model: effects of maternal subtotal nephrectomy on neonates

Changes in body weight (BW), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and localization of renin in the kidneys of neonates born to normal mothers (C neonates) or to five-sixths (5/6) nephrectomized (2/3 left kidney and right kidney) mothers (Nx neonates) were studied. Maternal 5/6 nephrectomy caused weight loss in neonates but no differences in SBP or renin localization. Culling Nx neonates to a litter of 3 at 1 day after birth resulted in growth catching up with C neonates from 3 weeks old and increases in both SBP and renin-positive cells in neonatal kidney. These findings revealed that maternal 5/6 nephrectomy results in low-birth-weight neonates and that these neonates are at increased risk of metabolic syndrome by catch-up growth.

Maternal Dietary Inflammatory Index during Pregnancy Is Associated with Perinatal Outcomes: Results from the IMPACT BCN Trial

The information available on the effects of maternal dietary habits on systemic inflammation and adverse maternal outcomes is limited. We aimed to evaluate whether Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) score during pregnancy is associated with maternal body mass index (BMI), Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence, and perinatal outcomes. At 19−23 weeks’ gestation, 1028 pregnant women were recruited. Dietary information was assessed using a 17-item dietary score to evaluate MD adherence and a validated 151-item food frequency questionnaire. DII score was established according to 33 food and nutritional proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory items. Participants were distributed into tertiles according to the DII score, where a lower DII score (first tertile) represented an anti-inflammatory diet and the third tertile represented the more proinflammatory diet. Maternal characteristics and perinatal outcomes were collected, and newborns’ birthweight percentiles were calculated. Adjusted logistic regression models were used to assess the association of the DII score with maternal and perinatal characteristics, setting the third tertile as the reference group. Women in the third tertile showed lower adherence to MD score compared to the first tertile: median (25th to 75th percentile) 9 (7 to 11) vs. 6 (4.25 to 8), p < 0.001. The proinflammatory diet was significantly associated with a higher maternal pre-pregnancy BMI (adjusted β = 0.88; 95% CI: 0.31 to 1.45) and lower newborn’s birthweight percentile (adjusted β = −9.84th; 95% CI: −19.6 to −0.12). These data show that a proinflammatory diet profile may be associated with maternal overweight and fetal undergrowth.

A Community Prenatal Intervention in Social Nutrition: Evaluating the Impact on Pregnancy and Birthweight Outcomes

This study aims to assess the associations between structural features of the Montreal Diet Dispensary’s social nutrition intervention and pregnancy (i.e., anemia, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), gestational weight gain (GWG), hypertension) and birthweight outcomes (i.e., small- or large-for-gestational-age) among pregnant women, most of them recent immigrants. The study consists of a secondary analysis of the digital client database of the Montreal Diet Dispensary (n = 2925). Logistic regressions were used to estimate the odds of pregnancy and birthweight outcomes, depending on structural features of the intervention. Pregnant women who attended a welcoming group session presented lower odds of GDM and anemia compared to those who did not attend. A longer duration of intervention was also associated with lower odds of GDM and anemia. Each additional appointment with a dietitian was associated with higher odds of excessive GWG and lower odds of insufficient GWG only among women with a pre-pregnancy BMI lower than 25 kg/m². This study emphasizes the importance of providing nutritional services early in pregnancy to reduce the risk of GDM and anemia. It also stresses the importance of using appropriate nutritional guidelines to avoid increasing the risk of excessive GWG.

Early-Life Environment Influence on Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease

With the expand of the population’s average age, the incidence of neurodegenerative disorders has dramatically increased over the last decades. Alzheimer disease (AD) which is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease is mostly sporadic and primarily characterized by cognitive deficits and neuropathological lesions such as amyloid -β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyper- and/or abnormally phosphorylated Tau protein. AD is considered a complex disease that arises from the interaction between environmental and genetic factors, modulated by epigenetic mechanisms. Besides the well-described cognitive decline, AD patients also exhibit metabolic impairments. Metabolic and cognitive perturbations are indeed frequently observed in the Developmental Origin of Health and Diseases (DOHaD) field of research which proposes that environmental perturbations during the perinatal period determine the susceptibility to pathological conditions later in life. In this review, we explored the potential influence of early environmental exposure to risk factors (maternal stress, malnutrition, xenobiotics, chemical factors … ) and the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms on the programming of late-onset AD. Animal models indicate that offspring exposed to early-life stress during gestation and/or lactation increase both AD lesions, lead to defects in synaptic plasticity and finally to cognitive impairments. This long-lasting epigenetic programming could be modulated by factors such as nutriceuticals, epigenetic modifiers or psychosocial behaviour, offering thus future therapeutic opportunity to protect from AD development.

Impact of In Utero Folate Exposure on DNA Methylation and Its Potential Relevance for Later-Life Health-Evidence from Mouse Models Translated to Human Cohorts

SCOPE

Persistent DNA methylation changes may mediate effects of early-life exposures on later-life health. Human lifespan is challenging for prospective studies, therefore data from longitudinal studies are limited. Projecting data from mouse models of early-life exposure to human studies offers a tool to address this challenge.

METHODS AND RESULTS

C57BL/6J mice were fed low/normal folate diets before and during pregnancy and lactation. Genome-wide promoter methylation was measured in male offspring livers at 17.5 days gestation and 28 weeks. Eight promoters were concurrently hypermethylated by folate depletion in fetuses and adults (>1.10 fold-change; p < 0.05). Processes/pathways potentially influenced by global changes, and function of these eight genes, suggest neurocognitive effects. Human observational and randomized controlled trial data were interrogated for translation. Methylation at birth was inversely associated with maternal plasma folate in six genes (-1.15% to -0.16% per nmol L^-1 ; p < 0.05), while maternal folic acid supplementation was associated with differential methylation of four genes in adulthood. Three CpGs were persistently hypermethylated with lower maternal folate (p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Some persistent folate-induced methylation changes in mice are mirrored in humans. This demonstrates utility of mouse data in identifying human loci for interrogation as biomarkers of later-life health.

Severe Gestational Low-Protein Intake Impacts Hippocampal Cellularity, Tau, and Amyloid-β Levels, and Memory Performance in Male Adult Offspring: An Alzheimer-Simile Disease Model?

Background:

Maternal undernutrition has been associated with psychiatric and neurological disorders characterized by learning and memory impairment.

Objective:

Considering the lack of evidence, we aimed to analyze the effects of gestational protein restriction on learning and memory function associated with hippocampal cell numbers and neurodegenerative protein content later in life.

Methods:

Experiments were conducted in gestational low- (LP, 6% casein) or regular-protein (NP, 17% casein) diet intake offspring. Behavioral tests, isolated hippocampal isotropic fractionator cell studies, immunoblotting, and survival lifetime were observed.

Results:

The birthweight of LP males is significantly reduced relative to NP male progeny, and hippocampal mass increased in 88-week-old LP compared to age-matched NP offspring. The results showed an increased proximity measure in 87-week-old LP compared to NP offspring. Also, LP rats exhibited anxiety-like behaviors compared to NP rats at 48 and 86-wk of life. The estimated neuron number was unaltered in LP rats; however, non-neuron cell numbers increased compared to NP progeny. Here, we showed unprecedented hippocampal deposition of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), and tau protein in 88-week-old LP relative to age-matched NP offspring.

Conclusion:

To date, no predicted studies showed changes in hippocampal morphological structure in maternal protein-restricted elderly offspring. The current data suggest that gestational protein restriction may accelerate hippocampal function loss, impacting learning/memory performance, and supposedly developing diseases similar to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in elderly offspring. Thus, we propose that maternal protein restriction could be an elegant and novel method for constructing an AD-like model in adult male offspring.

The Epigenetic Role of Vitamin C in Neurodevelopment

The maternal diet during pregnancy is a key determinant of offspring health. Early studies have linked poor maternal nutrition during gestation with a propensity for the development of chronic conditions in offspring. These conditions include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and even compromised mental health. While multiple factors may contribute to these outcomes, disturbed epigenetic programming during early development is one potential biological mechanism. The epigenome is programmed primarily in utero, and during this time, the developing fetus is highly susceptible to environmental factors such as nutritional insults. During neurodevelopment, epigenetic programming coordinates the formation of primitive central nervous system structures, neurogenesis, and neuroplasticity. Dysregulated epigenetic programming has been implicated in the aetiology of several neurodevelopmental disorders such as Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome. Accordingly, there is great interest in determining how maternal nutrient availability in pregnancy might affect the epigenetic status of offspring, and how such influences may present phenotypically. In recent years, a number of epigenetic enzymes that are active during embryonic development have been found to require vitamin C as a cofactor. These enzymes include the ten-eleven translocation methylcytosine dioxygenases (TETs) and the Jumonji C domain-containing histone lysine demethylases that catalyse the oxidative removal of methyl groups on cytosines and histone lysine residues, respectively. These enzymes are integral to epigenetic regulation and have fundamental roles in cellular differentiation, the maintenance of pluripotency and development. The dependence of these enzymes on vitamin C for optimal catalytic activity illustrates a potentially critical contribution of the nutrient during mammalian development. These insights also highlight a potential risk associated with vitamin C insufficiency during pregnancy. The link between vitamin C insufficiency and development is particularly apparent in the context of neurodevelopment and high vitamin C concentrations in the brain are indicative of important functional requirements in this organ. Accordingly, this review considers the evidence for the potential impact of maternal vitamin C status on neurodevelopmental epigenetics.

Animal Foetal Models of Obesity and Diabetes - From Laboratory to Clinical Settings

The prenatal period, during which a fully formed newborn capable of surviving outside its mother's body is built from a single cell, is critical for human development. It is also the time when the foetus is particularly vulnerable to environmental factors, which may modulate the course of its development. Both epidemiological and animal studies have shown that foetal programming of physiological systems may alter the growth and function of organs and lead to pathology in adulthood. Nutrition is a particularly important environmental factor for the pregnant mother as it affects the condition of offspring. Numerous studies have shown that an unbalanced maternal metabolic status (under- or overnutrition) may cause long-lasting physiological and behavioural alterations, resulting in metabolic disorders, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Various diets are used in laboratory settings in order to induce maternal obesity and metabolic disorders, and to alter the offspring development. The most popular models are: high-fat, high-sugar, high-fat-high-sugar, and cafeteria diets. Maternal undernutrition models are also used, which results in metabolic problems in offspring. Similarly to animal data, human studies have shown the influence of mothers' diets on the development of children. There is a strong link between the maternal diet and the birth weight, metabolic state, changes in the cardiovascular and central nervous system of the offspring. The mechanisms linking impaired foetal development and adult diseases remain under discussion. Epigenetic mechanisms are believed to play a major role in prenatal programming. Additionally, sexually dimorphic effects on offspring are observed. Therefore, further research on both sexes is necessary.

Nutrition and cognition across the lifetime: an overview on epigenetic mechanisms

The functioning of our brain depends on both genes and their interactions with environmental factors. The close link between genetics and environmental factors produces structural and functional cerebral changes early on in life. Understanding the weight of environmental factors in modulating neuroplasticity phenomena and cognitive functioning is relevant for potential interventions. Among these, nutrition plays a key role. In fact, the link between gut and brain (the gut-brain axis) is very close and begins in utero, since the Central Nervous System (CNS) and the Enteric Nervous System (ENS) originate from the same germ layer during the embryogenesis. Here, we investigate the epigenetic mechanisms induced by some nutrients on the cognitive functioning, which affect the cellular and molecular processes governing our cognitive functions. Furthermore, epigenetic phenomena can be positively affected by specific healthy nutrients from diet, with the possibility of preventing or modulating cognitive impairments. Specifically, we described the effects of several nutrients on diet-dependent epigenetic processes, in particular DNA methylation and histones post-translational modifications, and their potential role as therapeutic target, to describe how some forms of cognitive decline could be prevented or modulated from the early stages of life.

Association between early-term birth and delayed neurodevelopment at the age of 2 years: results from a cohort study in China

A growing body of evidence indicates that early-term births (37-38 weeks of gestational age) have an increased risk of short-term and long-term complications. Here, we sought to explore the association between early-term births and the risk of delayed neurodevelopment at age 2 years. Pregnant women and their live singleton birth were recruited from a single tertiary hospital between October 2013 and February 2017. Mental and Psychomotor Development Indexes (MDI and PDI) were assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID). Delayed neurodevelopment was defined as scores of PDI or MDI less than -1SD relative to the mean score of the study population. In total, 1678 full-term infants and 727 early-term infants were assessed when they were 2 years old. After adjustment for potential confounders, early-term birth was related to 43% increased odds of neurodevelopmental delay in the PDI domain as compared with full-term birth (OR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.82). The observed associations were more prominent among those infants born by cesarean (OR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.00) and among males (OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.20, 2.28). No statistical difference in the MDI domain was found between early-term and full-term births.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that early-term birth was associated with increased odds of delayed neurodevelopment in the PDI domain as measured by BSID assessments at age 2 years. Health professionals should be aware of the influence of early-term birth on the risk of delayed neurodevelopment. What is Known: • Evidence indicates that early-term births have an increased risk of short-term and long-term complications. • The association between early-term births and delayed neurodevelopment at their early childhood has not been widely studied. What is New: • Early-term birth was associated with increased odds of delayed neurodevelopment in PDI domain as measured by BSID assessments at age 2 years. • The observed associations were more prominent among infants born by cesarean section and among male infants.

Developments in Biological Mechanisms and Treatments for Negative Symptoms and Cognitive Dysfunction of Schizophrenia

The causal mechanisms and treatment for the negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia are the main issues attracting the attention of psychiatrists over the last decade. The first part of this review summarizes the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, especially the negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction from the perspectives of genetics and epigenetics. The second part describes the novel medications and several advanced physical therapies (e.g., transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation) for the negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction that will optimize the therapeutic strategy for patients with schizophrenia in future.

The impact a Mediterranean Diet in the third trimester of pregnancy has on neonatal body fat percentage

Maternal diet during pregnancy has long been recognised as an important determinant of neonatal outcomes and child development. Infant body composition is a potentially modifiable risk factor for predicting future health and metabolic disease. Utilising the Mediterranean Diet Score, this study focused on how different levels of Mediterranean Diet adherence (MDA) in pregnancy influence body fat percentage of the infant. Information on 458 pregnant women in their third trimester of pregnancy and their infants was obtained from The ORIGINS Project. The data included MDA score, body composition measurements using infant air displacement plethysmography (PEA POD), pregnancy, and birth information. Infants born to mothers with high MDA had a body fat percentage of 11.3%, whereas infants born to mothers with low MDA had a higher body fat percentage of 13.3% (p = 0.010). When adjusted for pre-pregnancy body mass index and infant sex, a significant result remained between high vs. low MDA and infant fat mass (FM) (2.5% less FM p = 0.016). This study suggests that high MDA in pregnancy was associated with a reduced body fat percentage in the newborn. Future studies are needed to understand whether small but significant changes in FM persist throughout childhood.

Mechanisms Underlying Neurologic Injury in Intrauterine Growth Restriction

Intrauterine growth restriction is a condition that prevents normal fetal development, and previous studies have reported that intrauterine growth restriction is caused by adverse intrauterine factors. This condition affects both short- and long-term neurodevelopmental disorders. Studies have revealed that neurodevelopmental disorders can contribute to gray and white matter damage and decrease the brain volume of affected individuals. Further, these disorders are associated with increased risks of mental retardation, cognitive impairment, and cerebral palsy, which seriously affect the quality of life. Although the mechanisms underlying the neurologic injury associated with intrauterine growth restriction are not completely clear, studies have revealed that neuronal apoptosis, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, excitatory toxicity, disruption of blood-brain barrier, and epigenetics may be involved in this process. This article reviews the manifestations and possible mechanisms underlying neurologic injury in intrauterine growth restriction and provides a theoretical basis for the effective prevention and treatment of this condition.

Intrauterine Exposures and Maternal Health Status during Pregnancy in Relation to Later Child Health: A Review of Pregnancy Cohort Studies in Europe

We show a description of pregnancy cohorts in the European region. Our investigation identified 66 pregnancy cohorts, mostly hosted in Western Central Europe. Among these 66 cohorts, 24 began recruitment before the year 2000, while six cohorts are still enrolling. The most common topics were lifestyle, environment and nutrition with allergies and neurodevelopment being a minority. We observed a pattern of positive correlations between data collected using medical records, structured interviews, and the collection of biological samples. Objectively assessed data were negatively correlated with self-administered questionnaires. Eight cohorts addressed intrauterine exposure, focusing on environmental pollutants such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The effects of these compounds on the developing foetus have been studied greatly, but more research on their effects is still needed. Many cohorts investigated genetics through the collection of biological samples from the mothers and children, to improve knowledge on the mother-to-child transmission of genetic information, antibodies, microbiota, etc. Paediatric epidemiology represents an important field of research since preserving healthy lives from conception onwards is the most efficient way to improve population health. According to our report, it seems that this field of research is well developed in Europe, where numerous high profile studies are currently ongoing.

Is being born in spring significantly associated with early-onset bipolar affective disorder? A case-control study

Few studies have investigated relationships between birth season and early-onset bipolar affective disorder (BAD) in young adults. In the current study, birth season was compared in patients with early-onset BAD and in sex-matched and age-matched controls. A total of 957 patients aged <25 years of age from three hospitals in the North China Plain region were enrolled in the study. Sex-matched and age-matched control group data were collected in universities and schools via questionnaires. The R*C chi-square test was used to assess distributional differences in season of birth both in the patient and control group. A binary logistic regression model adjusted for age and sex was used to evaluate associations between season of birth and BAD. Using spring as the reference season, BAD patients showed significantly lower odds ratios of being born in any other season. There were associations between birth season and early-onset BAD, and early-onset BAD patients were more likely to have been born in spring. These data have implications for future disease prevention strategies and future research.

Limited contextual memory and transcriptional dysregulation in the medial prefrontal cortex of mice exposed to early protein malnutrition are intergenerationally transmitted

Memory contextualization is vital for the subsequent retrieval of relevant memories in specific situations and is a critical dimension of social cognition. The inability to properly contextualize information has been described as characteristic of psychiatric disorders like autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The exposure to early-life adversities, such as nutritional deficiency, increases the risk to trigger alterations in different domains of cognition related to those observed in mental diseases. In this work, we explored the consequences of exposure to perinatal protein malnutrition on contextual memory in a mouse model and assessed whether these consequences are transmitted to the next generation. Female mice were fed with a normal or hypoproteic diet during pregnancy and lactation. To evaluate contextual memory, the object-context mismatch test was performed in both sexes of F1 offspring and in the subsequent F2 generation. We observed that contextual memory was altered in mice of both sexes that had been subjected to maternal protein malnutrition and that the deficit in contextual memory was transmitted to the next generation. The basis of this alteration seems to be a transcriptional dysregulation of genes involved in the excitatory and inhibitory balance and immediate-early genes within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of both generations. The expression of genes encoding enzymes that regulate H3K27me3 levels was altered in the mPFC and partially in sperm of F1 malnourished mice. These results support the hypothesis that early nutritional deficiency represents a risk factor for the emergence of symptoms associated with mental disorders.

Human Milk and Brain Development in Infants

Human milk is considered the most advantageous source of nourishment for infants. Even though there is no ideal composition of human milk, it still contains a unique combination of components that contribute to brain development. The aim of this review is to provide an overview on the possible correlation of human milk with the neurodevelopment of infants, with a special emphasis on myelination and epigenetic modifications. Research in human milk is a rapidly expanding field and cutting-edge technologies might contribute to identify specific mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects on human milk on neurodevelopment.

Macronutrient Intake in Pregnancy and Child Cognitive and Behavioural Outcomes

Prenatal nutrient exposures can impact on brain development and disease susceptibility across the lifespan. It is well established that maternal macronutrient intake during pregnancy influences foetal and infant development. Therefore, we hypothesise that macronutrient intakes during pregnancy are correlated with cognitive development during early childhood. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between maternal macronutrient intake during pregnancy and child cognitive and behavioural outcomes at age 4 years. We analysed prospective data from a cohort of 64 Australian mother-child dyads. Maternal macronutrient intake was assessed using a validated 74-item food frequency questionnaire at 2 timepoints during pregnancy. Child cognition and behaviour were measured at age 4 years using the validated Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, 3rd version (WPPSI-III) and the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBC). Linear regression models were used to quantify statistical relationships and were adjusted for maternal age, education, pre-pregnancy BMI, breastfeeding duration and birthweight. Child Performance IQ was inversely associated with maternal starch intake (b = -11.02, p = 0.03). However, no other associations were found. Further research is needed to explore the association between different types of starch consumed during pregnancy and child cognitive development.

The impact of (ab)normal maternal environment on cortical development

The cortex in the mammalian brain is the most complex brain region that integrates sensory information and coordinates motor and cognitive processes. To perform such functions, the cortex contains multiple subtypes of neurons that are generated during embryogenesis. Newly born neurons migrate to their proper location in the cortex, grow axons and dendrites, and form neuronal circuits. These developmental processes in the fetal brain are regulated to a large extent by a great variety of factors derived from the mother - starting from simple nutrients as building blocks and ending with hormones. Thus, when the normal maternal environment is disturbed due to maternal infection, stress, malnutrition, or toxic substances, it might have a profound impact on cortical development and the offspring can develop a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders. Here we first describe the major developmental processes which generate neuronal diversity in the cortex. We then review our knowledge of how most common maternal insults affect cortical development, perturb neuronal circuits, and lead to neurodevelopmental disorders. We further present a concept of selective vulnerability of cortical neuronal subtypes to maternal-derived insults, where the vulnerability of cortical neurons and their progenitors to an insult depends on the time (developmental period), place (location in the developing brain), and type (unique features of a cell type and an insult). Finally, we provide evidence for the existence of selective vulnerability during cortical development and identify the most vulnerable neuronal types, stages of differentiation, and developmental time for major maternal-derived insults.

How do established developmental risk-factors for schizophrenia change the way the brain develops?

The recognition that schizophrenia is a disorder of neurodevelopment is widely accepted. The original hypothesis was coined more than 30 years ago and the wealth of supportive epidemiologically data continues to grow. A number of proposals have been put forward to suggest how adverse early exposures in utero alter the way the adult brain functions, eventually producing the symptoms of schizophrenia. This of course is extremely difficult to study in developing human brains, so the bulk of what we know comes from animal models of such exposures. In this review, I will summarise the more salient features of how the major epidemiologically validated exposures change the way the brain is formed leading to abnormal function in ways that are informative for schizophrenia symptomology. Surprisingly few studies have examined brain ontogeny from embryo to adult in such models. However, where there is longitudinal data, various convergent mechanisms are beginning to emerge involving stress and immune pathways. There is also a surprisingly consistent alteration in how very early dopamine neurons develop in these models. Understanding how disparate epidemiologically-validated exposures may produce similar developmental brain abnormalities may unlock convergent early disease-related pathways/processes.

The associations between maternal and child diet quality and child ADHD - findings from a large Norwegian pregnancy cohort study

BACKGROUND

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder. Effective long-term treatment options are limited, which warrants increased focus on potential modifiable risk factors. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between maternal diet quality during pregnancy and child diet quality and child ADHD symptoms and ADHD diagnosis.

METHODS

This study is based on the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). We assessed maternal diet quality with the Prenatal Diet Quality Index (PDQI) and Ultra-Processed Food Index (UPFI) around mid-gestation, and child diet quality using the Diet Quality Index (CDQI) at 3 years. ADHD symptoms were assessed at child age 8 years using the Parent Rating Scale for Disruptive Behaviour Disorders. ADHD diagnoses were retrieved from the Norwegian Patient Registry.

RESULTS

In total, 77,768 mother-child pairs were eligible for studying ADHD diagnoses and 37,787 for ADHD symptoms. Means (SD) for the PDQI, UPFI and CDQI were 83.1 (9.3), 31.8 (9.7) and 60.3 (10.6), respectively. Mean (SD) ADHD symptom score was 8.4 (7.1) and ADHD diagnosis prevalence was 2.9% (male to female ratio 2.6:1). For one SD increase in maternal diet index scores, we saw a change in mean (percent) ADHD symptom score of - 0.28 (- 3.3%) (CI: - 0.41, - 0.14 (- 4.8, - 1.6%)) for PDQI scores and 0.25 (+ 3.0%) (CI: 0.13, 0.38 (1.5, 4.5%)) for UPFI scores. A one SD increase in PDQI score was associated with a relative risk of ADHD diagnosis of 0.87 (CI: 0.79, 0.97). We found no reliable associations with either outcomes for the CDQI, and no reliable change in risk of ADHD diagnosis for the UPFI.

CONCLUSIONS

We provide evidence that overall maternal diet quality during pregnancy is associated with a small decrease in ADHD symptom score at 8 years and lower risk for ADHD diagnosis, with more robust findings for the latter outcome. Consumption of ultra-processed foods was only associated with increased ADHD symptom score of similar magnitude as for overall maternal diet quality, and we found no associations between child diet quality and either outcome. No causal inferences should be made based on these results, due to potential unmeasured confounding.

Caloric restriction following early-life high fat-diet feeding represses skeletal muscle TNF in male rats

Chronic metabolic diseases are on the rise worldwide and their etiology is multifactorial. Among them, inflammatory components like Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), contribute to whole-body metabolic impairment. Caloric Restriction (CR) combats metabolic diseases, but how it reduces inflammation remains understudied. We aimed to evaluate the impact of chronic CR on muscle inflammation, in particular TNF. In our study, 4-week old male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high-fat diet (HF, 45% Kcal of fat from lard) ad libitum for 3 months. After estimation of their energy requirement (1 month), they were then divided into three groups: HF ad libitum (OL), weight maintenance with AIN93M (9.5% Kcal from fat; ML, 100% of energy requirement), and caloric restriction (CR, AIN93M with 75% of energy requirement). This dietary intervention continued for six months. At this point, rats were sacrificed and gastrocnemius muscle was collected. CR induced a profound shift in fat and lean mass, and decreased growth factor IGF-1. Muscle qPCR analysis showed a marked decrease in inflammation and TNF (premRNA, mRNA, and protein) by CR, accompanied by Tnf promoter DNA hypermethylation. CR increased expression of histone deacetylase Sirt6 and decreased methyltransferase Suv39h1, together with decreased Tnf promoter and coding region binding of NF- κB and C/EBP-β. Following miRNA database mining, qPCR analysis revealed that CR downregulated the proinflammatory miR-19b and increased the anti-inflammatory miR-181a and its known targets. Chronic CR is able to regulate muscle-specific inflammation by targeting the NF-κB pathway as well as transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of Tnf gene.

Association Between Peripheral Blood Levels of Vitamin A and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children: A Meta-Analysis

Vitamin A is an essential fat-soluble micronutrient that plays important roles in a surprisingly wide variety of biological processes from early growth and development to brain maintenance. Numerous clinical studies have been conducted to explore the relationship between peripheral vitamin A levels and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the results of these studies are controversial. Therefore, we assessed the association between peripheral vitamin A levels and ASD in the present meta-analysis. Relevant records were retrieved through the Embase, Web of Knowledge and PubMed databases up to 13 November 2020. Reference lists were also searched and analyzed. Hedges' g with its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to assess the association between peripheral vitamin A levels and ASD. A fixed or random effects model was selected according to a heterogeneity test in overall and subgroup analyses. Five records (six studies) with 935 ASD children and 516 healthy children were included in the present study. Significantly decreased peripheral vitamin A concentrations were observed in ASD children compared with healthy children (Hedges' g = -0.600, 95% CI -1.153 to -0.048, P = 0.033). A similar result was also obtained after removing the studies identified by Galbraith plots. In addition, no obvious publication bias was found in the meta-analysis. The findings of our meta-analysis suggested decreased peripheral vitamin A levels in ASD children compared with healthy children. Further investigations into the effects of vitamin A on the development of ASD are warranted.

A weekly vitamin A supplementary program alleviates social impairment in Chinese children with autism spectrum disorders and vitamin A deficiency

BACKGROUND

Children in China with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are prone to vitamin A deficiency (VAD). The present study compared two vitamin A supplements (VAS) in two groups of children with ASD and VAD to explore a better VAS program for children with ASD.

METHOD

A total of 138 3-8-year-old children with ASD (118 males and 20 females) were enrolled in this 6-month study. Of these 138 children, 82 who had VAD (ASD-VAD) were divided into two VAS groups that received the recommended VAS program (RNI-VAS) or a weekly dose of VAS (WD-VAS). The 56 children who had normal vitamin A levels (ASD-VAN) served as a control group. The Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) was used to assess the severity of social impairment before and after the interventions. Their serum retinol (VA) and oxytocin (OXT) concentrations, the mRNA expression of retinoic acid receptors (RARs), and CD38 gene in peripheral blood was measured before and after the 6-month intervention.

RESULTS

The WD-VAS program increased VA levels better than the RNI-VAS program did (P < 0.01), and it significantly decreased SRS scores (P < 0.05). In addition, the change in VA was positively correlated with the change in mRNA levels in RARβ (r = 0.2441, P = 0.0092), the CD38 in PBMC (r = 0.2729, P = 0.0033), and the change in OXT concentration in serum (r = 0.3735, P < 0.0001). VA was also negatively correlated with changes in SRS scores across the three groups (r = -0.2615, P = 0.0026).

CONCLUSION

The WD-VAS might be more suitable for children with ASD and VAD than other interventions to improve both VA and social functioning, which may be mediated through the RARβ-CD38-OXT axis.

How babies learn: The autonomic socioemotional reflex

BACKGROUND

Human and animal research has long documented the negative effects of early traumatic events on long-term development and socioemotional behavior. Yet, how and where the body stores these memories remains unclear. Current theories propose that the brain stores such memory in the subcortical limbic system. However, a clear theory of change with testable hypothesis has yet to emerge.

AIMS

In this paper, we review the classical Pavlovian conditioning learning tradition, along with its functional variant. Then, we review calming cycle theory, which builds upon the idea that mother/infant learning is distinct from other types of learning, requiring a new set of assumptions in light of functional Pavlovian conditioning.

CONCLUSION

Calming cycle theory states that learning of behaviors associated with subcortical autonomic physiology is separate and distinct from learning of behaviors associated with cortical physiology. Mother/infant autonomic learning starts in the uterine environment via functional Pavlovian co-conditioning that is stored as conditional reflexes within the dyad's autonomic nervous systems. These reflexes are preserved transnatally as autonomic socioemotional reflexes (ASRs), which can be used to monitor mother-infant relational health. The functional Pavlovian co-conditioning mechanism can be exploited to change the physiological/behavioral reflex response. The theory provides a well established learning mechanism, a theory of change and a method of change, along with a set of hypotheses with which to test the theory. We present evidence from a randomized controlled trial with prematurely born infants and their mothers that supports calming cycle theory.

Maternal Protein Restriction in Rats Alters the Expression of Genes Involved in Mitochondrial Metabolism and Epitranscriptomics in Fetal Hypothalamus

Fetal brain development is closely dependent on maternal nutrition and metabolic status. Maternal protein restriction (PR) is known to be associated with alterations in the structure and function of the hypothalamus, leading to impaired control of energy homeostasis and food intake. The objective of this study was to identify the cellular and molecular systems underlying these effects during fetal development. We combined a global transcriptomic analysis on the fetal hypothalamus from a rat model of maternal PR with in vitro neurosphere culture and cellular analyses. Several genes encoding proteins from the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes were overexpressed in the PR group and mitochondrial metabolic activity in the fetal hypothalamus was altered. The level of the N6-methyladenosine epitranscriptomic mark was reduced in the PR fetuses, and the expression of several genes involved in the writing/erasing/reading of this mark was indeed altered, as well as genes encoding several RNA-binding proteins. Additionally, we observed a higher number of neuronal-committed progenitors at embryonic day 17 (E17) in the PR fetuses. Together, these data strongly suggest a metabolic adaptation to the amino acid shortage, combined with the post-transcriptional control of protein expression, which might reflect alterations in the control of the timing of neuronal progenitor differentiation.

Effectiveness of a Multifactorial Intervention in the First 1000 Days of Life to Prevent Obesity and Overweight in Childhood: Study Protocol

(1) Background: Obesity is a global health problem, and its prevention must be a priority goal of public health, especially considering the seriousness of the problem among children. It is known that fetal and early postnatal environments may favor the appearance of obesity in later life. In recent years, the impact of the programs to prevent obesity in childhood has been scarce. The aim of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention based on the concept of early programming. (2) Methods: Non-randomized controlled trial design. Inclusion criteria are: two-year-old infants whose gestational period begins in the 14 months following the start of the intervention, and whose mothers have made the complete follow-up of their pregnancy in the same clinical unit of the study. The intervention will be developed over all the known factors that affect early programming, during pregnancy up to 2 years of life. Data will be collected through a data collection sheet by the paediatricians. A unibivariate and multivariate analysis of the data will be carried out. (3) Ethics and dissemination: The trial does not involve any risk to participants and their offspring. Signed informed consent is obtained from all participants. Ethical approval has been obtained. (4) Results: It is expected that this study will provide evidence on the importance of the prevention of obesity from the critical period of the first 1000 days of life, being able to establish this as a standard intervention in primary care.

Facts and hypotheses about the programming of neuroplastic deficits by prenatal malnutrition

Studies in rats have shown that a decrease in either protein content or total dietary calories results in molecular, structural, and functional changes in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, among other brain regions, which lead to behavioral disturbances, including learning and memory deficits. The neurobiological bases underlying those effects depend at least in part on fetal programming of the developing brain, which in turn relies on epigenetic regulation of specific genes via stable and heritable modifications of chromatin. Prenatal malnutrition also leads to epigenetic programming of obesity, and obesity on its own can lead to poor cognitive performance in humans and experimental animals, complicating understanding of the factors involved in the fetal programming of neuroplasticity deficits. This review focuses on the role of epigenetic mechanisms involved in prenatal malnutrition-induced brain disturbances, which are apparent at a later postnatal age, through either a direct effect of fetal programming on brain plasticity or an indirect effect on the brain mediated by the postnatal development of obesity.

Sex differences in the epigenetic regulation of chronic visceral pain following unpredictable early life stress

BACKGROUND

We previously reported that early life stress (ELS) dysregulated glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) expression in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). Epigenetic modifications serve as memories of adverse events that occurred during early life. Therefore, we hypothesized that epigenetic mechanisms alter GR and CRH expression in the CeA and underlie chronic visceral pain after ELS.

METHODS

Neonatal rats were exposed to unpredictable, predictable ELS, or odor only (no stress control) from postnatal days 8 to 12. In adulthood, visceral sensitivity was assessed or the CeA was isolated for Western blot or ChiP-qPCR to study histone modifications at the GR and CRH promoters. Female adult rats underwent stereotaxic implantation of indwelling cannulas for microinjections of garcinol (HAT inhibitor) into the CeA. After 7 days of microinjections, visceral sensitivity was assessed or the CeA was isolated for ChIP-qPCR assays.

RESULTS

Unpredictable ELS increased visceral sensitivity in adult female rats, but not in male counterparts. ELS increased histone 3 lysine 9 (H3K9) acetylation in the CeA and H3K9 acetylation levels at the GR promoter in the CeA of adult female rats. After unpredictable ELS, H3K9 acetylation was increased and GR binding was decreased at the CRH promoter. Administration of garcinol in the CeA of adult females, that underwent unpredictable ELS, normalized H3K9 acetylation and restored GR binding at the CRH promoter.

CONCLUSION

Dysregulated histone acetylation and GR binding at the CRH promoter in the CeA are an important mechanism for "memorizing" ELS events mediating visceral pain in adulthood.

Neurodevelopmental concepts of schizophrenia in the genome-wide association era: AKT/mTOR signaling as a pathological mediator of genetic and environmental programming during development

Normative brain development is contingent on the complex interplay between genes and environment. Schizophrenia (SCZ) is considered a highly polygenic, neurodevelopmental disorder associated with impaired neural circuit development, neurocognitive function and variations in neurotransmitter signaling systems, including dopamine. Significant evidence, accumulated over the last 30 years indicates a role for the in utero environment in SCZ pathophysiology. Emerging data suggests that changes in placental programming and function may mediate the link between genetic risk, early life complications (ELC) and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, with risk highlighted in key developmental drivers that converge on AKT/mTOR signaling. In this article we overview select risk genes identified through recent genome-wide association studies of SCZ including AKT3, miR-137, DRD2, and AKT1 itself. We propose that through convergence on AKT/mTOR signaling, these genes are critical factors directing both placentation and neurodevelopment, influencing risk for SCZ through dysregulation of placental function, metabolism and early brain development. We discuss association of risk genes in the context of their known roles in neurodevelopment, placental expression and their possible mechanistic links to SCZ in the broad context of the 'developmental origins of adult disease' construct. Understanding how common genetic variation impacts early fetal programming may advance our knowledge of disease etiology and identify early critical developmental windows for prevention and intervention.

Nutritional interventions for autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an increasingly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder with considerable clinical heterogeneity. With no cure for the disorder, treatments commonly center around speech and behavioral therapies to improve the characteristic social, behavioral, and communicative symptoms of ASD. Gastrointestinal disturbances are commonly encountered comorbidities that are thought to be not only another symptom of ASD but to also play an active role in modulating the expression of social and behavioral symptoms. Therefore, nutritional interventions are used by a majority of those with ASD both with and without clinical supervision to alleviate gastrointestinal and behavioral symptoms. Despite a considerable interest in dietary interventions, no consensus exists regarding optimal nutritional therapy. Thus, patients and physicians are left to choose from a myriad of dietary protocols. This review, summarizes the state of the current clinical and experimental literature on nutritional interventions for ASD, including gluten-free and casein-free, ketogenic, and specific carbohydrate diets, as well as probiotics, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and dietary supplements (vitamins A, C, B6, and B12; magnesium and folate).

Epigenetic Mechanisms of Maternal Dietary Protein and Amino Acids Affecting Growth and Development of Offspring

Nutrients can regulate metabolic activities of living organisms through epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and RNA regulation. Since the nutrients required for early embryos and postpartum lactation are derived in whole or in part from maternal and lactating nutrition, the maternal nutritional level affects the growth and development of fetus and creates a profound relationship between disease development and early environmental exposure in the offspring's later life. Protein is one of the most important biological macromolecules, involved in almost every process of life, such as information transmission, energy processing and material metabolism. Maternal protein intake levels may affect the integrity of the fetal genome and alter DNA methylation and gene expression. Most amino acids are supplied to the fetus from the maternal circulation through active transport of placenta. Some amino acids, such as methionine, as dietary methyl donor, play an important role in DNA methylation and body's one-carbon metabolism. The purpose of this review is to describe effects of maternal dietary protein and amino acid intake on fetal and neonatal growth and development through epigenetic mechanisms, with examples in humans and animals.

Early life cognitive development trajectories and intelligence quotient in middle childhood and early adolescence in rural western China

The relationship of cognitive developmental trajectories during the dynamic first years with later life development outcomes remains unclear in low- and middle-income countries. 1388 Children born to women who participated in a randomized trial of antenatal micronutrient supplementation in rural China were prospectively followed. Cognitive development was assessed six times between 3 and 30 months of age using Bayley Scales of Infant Development, and then in mid-childhood (7–9 years) and early adolescence (10–12 years) using Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. We identified four distinct infant cognitive development trajectory subgroups using group-based trajectory modeling: (i) consistently above average, (ii) consistently average, (iii) started below average and then improved, and (iv) started below average and then declined. LBW infants (<2500 g) were 10.60 times (95% CI 3.57, 31.49) more likely to be in the trajectory group that started below average and then declined, while each grade increase in maternal education decreased the risk of being in this group by 73% (95% CI 54%, 84%). Infants who performed consistently above average had 8.02 (95% CI 1.46, 14.59) points higher IQ in adolescence versus the declining trajectory group. These findings suggest that interventions to improve early child development trajectories may produce long-term human capital benefits.

Effect of supplementation with methyl-donor nutrients on neurodevelopment and cognition: considerations for future research

Pregnancy represents a critical period in fetal development, such that the prenatal environment can, in part, establish a lifelong trajectory of health or disease for the offspring. Poor nutrition (macro- or micronutrient deficiencies) can adversely affect brain development and significantly increase offspring risk for metabolic and neurological disease development. The concentration of dietary methyl-donor nutrients is known to alter DNA methylation in the brain, and alterations in DNA methylation can have long-lasting effects on gene expression and neuronal function. The decreased availability of methyl-donor nutrients to the developing fetus in models of poor maternal nutrition is one mechanism hypothesized to link maternal malnutrition and disease risk in offspring. Animal studies indicate that supplementation of both maternal and postnatal (early- and later-life) diets with methyl-donor nutrients can attenuate disease risk in offspring; however, clinical research is more equivocal. The objective of this review is to summarize how specific methyl-donor nutrient deficiencies and excesses during pre- and postnatal life alter neurodevelopment and cognition. Emphasis is placed on reviewing the current literature, highlighting challenges within nutrient supplementation research, and considering potential strategies to ensure robust findings in future studies.

Nutritional Supplements During Gestation and Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Do We Really Know and How Far Have We Gone?

Nutritional interventions are gaining remarkable attention as complementary management options for autism. Our aim is to provide literature data about the impact of the administration of dietary supplements during pregnancy on the risk of autism spectrum disorder in the offspring. A comprehensive search was undertaken by 2 reviewers independently using PubMed as the medical database source. Prospective clinical and experimental studies were considered and no year-of-publication restriction was placed. We were able to identify 4 basic (conducted in rodents) and 3 clinical research papers fulfilling our selection criteria. Supplements studied included folic acid, iron, multivitamins, choline, vitamin D, and docosahexaenoic acid. Choline and folic acid had a significant impact on the expression of autism-related genes. However, from a clinical point of view, prenatal folate administration did not reduce the risk of autism. Similarly, iron had no significant impact, while the use of multivitamins in moderate frequency had a protective effect. The use of vitamin D and docosahexaenoic acid during gestation decreased the incidence of autism in animal models. In conclusion, available data are controversial and cannot change current routine practice. More large-scale prospective studies are needed to identify the real effect of nutritional supplements and also optimize their administration.Key teaching pointsMultivitamins use during pregnancy can exert a protective effect on the risk of autism, although depending on the frequency of use. Nevertheless, prenatal iron and folate were not shown to have any significant impact.Research based on animal models showed that choline and folic acid can have a significant impact on the expression of autism-related genes in a sex-specific manner.Furthermore, the use of vitamin D and docosahexaenoic acid during gestation seem to decrease the incidence of autism in animal offspring.In the future, more clinical, large-scale prospective and methodologically homogenous clinical studies are needed to further investigate the effect of the periconceptional use of nutritional supplements on autism risk.

Neonatal vitamin D levels and cognitive ability in young adulthood

PURPOSE

Intelligence has a strong influence on life capability, and thus, identifying early modifiable risk factors related to cognitive ability is of major public health interest. During pregnancy, vitamin D is transported from the mother to the fetus through the placenta in the form of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). Levels of 25(OH)D have in some studies been associated with childhood neurodevelopment; however, results from all studies are not in agreement. We investigated if neonatal 25(OH)D₃ concentrations were associated with Børge Priens IQ test score (BPP) in young adulthood.

METHODS

In this nested cohort study, 25(OH)D₃ concentrations were measured in dried blood spots from 818 newborns. We followed the children for their IQ BPP test scores in the Danish Conscription Register, which holds information on test results from the BPP test on individuals who have been recruited for Danish mandatory military draft board examination. Using general linear models, we investigated the crude and adjusted relationship between quintiles of 25(OH)D₃ concentrations and BPP IQ test results.

RESULTS

The study population consisted of 95.8% men, with a mean age of 19.4 years. The median and range of the neonatal 25(OH)D₃ levels were 26.2 nmol/L (0-104.7 nmol/L). The overall Wald test did not show an association between neonatal 25(OH)D₃ levels and BPP IQ scores (p = 0.23); however, individuals within the 3rd (BPP IQ = 101.0, 98.0-103.9) and 4th (BPP IQ = 101.2, 99.1-104.3) quintiles had slightly higher BPP IQ scores than individuals from the first quintile (BPP IQ = 97.6, 94.6-100.6).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results support the hypothesis that individuals with the lowest levels of neonatal vitamin D might have slightly lower BPP. However, more studies are needed with larger study populations to confirm our results.