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Abstract Background Telomere length (TL), mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn), and DNA methylation age (DNAmAge) are common aging biomarkers. However, research on the associations between these three markers at birth and subsequent metabolic status was limited. This study aimed to evaluate the association between TL, mtDNAcn, and DNAmAge in newborns and the variation in metabolic hormones of children at 3 years old. Methods This research involved 895 mother–child pairs from a birth cohort in China, with TL and mtDNAcn measured using quantitative real-time PCR, DNA methylation (DNAm) assessed using Infinium MethylationEPIC Beadchip, and DNAm age (DNAmAge) determined using Horvath’s epigenetic clock. Insulin and leptin levels were measured via electrochemiluminescence assay. Multivariable adjusted linear regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis were utilized to examine the association between aging markers and metabolic hormones. Results The linear regression analysis indicated the percentage change of metabolism hormones for per doubling of aging biomarkers alterations and found significant associations between DNAmAge and insulin levels (adjusted percent change (95% CI), − 13.22 (− 23.21 to − 1.94)), TL and leptin levels (adjusted percent change (95% CI), 15.32 (1.32 to 31.24)), and mtDNAcn and leptin levels (adjusted percent change (95% CI), − 14.13 (− 21.59 to − 5.95)). The RCS analysis revealed significant non-linear associations between TL (Ln transformed) and insulin (Ln transformed) (P = 0.024 for nonlinearity), as well as DNAmAge (Ln transformed) and leptin (Ln transformed) (P = 0.043 for nonlinearity). Specifically, for TL and insulin, a positive association was observed when TL (Ln transformed) was less than − 0.05, which transitioned to an inverse association when TL (Ln transformed) was greater than − 0.05. Regarding DNAmAge and leptin, there was a sharp decline when DNAmAge (Ln transformed) was less than − 1.35, followed by a plateau between − 1.35 and − 0.67 and then a further decline when DNAmAge (Ln transformed) was greater than − 0.67. Conclusions In this prospective birth cohort study, variation in metabolic hormones of children at 3 years old was associated with TL, mtDNAcn, and DNAmAge at birth. These findings suggested that TL, mtDNAcn, and DNAmAge might play a role in the biological programming of metabolic health from birth.

Abstract Background Early pregnancy is a critical window for neural system programming; however, the association of first-trimester fetal size with children’s neurodevelopment remains to be assessed. This study aimed to explore the association between first-trimester fetal size and children’s neurodevelopment and to examine whether intrauterine accelerated growth could compensate for the detrimental effects of first-trimester restricted growth on childhood neurodevelopment. Methods The participants were from a birth cohort enrolled from March 2014 to March 2019 in Wuhan, China. A total of 2058 fetuses with crown to rump length (CRL) (a proxy of first-trimester fetal size) measurements in the first trimester and neurodevelopmental assessment at age 2 years were included. We measured the first-trimester CRL and defined three fetal growth patterns based on the growth rate of estimated fetal weight from mid to late pregnancy. The neurodevelopment was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development of China Revision at 2 years. Results Each unit (a Z score) increase of first-trimester CRL was associated with increased scores in mental developmental index (MDI) (adjusted beta estimate = 1.19, (95% CI: 0.42, 1.95), P = 0.03) and psychomotor developmental index (PDI) (adjusted beta estimate = 1.36, (95% CI: 0.46, 2.26), P

Background: Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has been found to be associated with growth and developmental abnormalities in children. However, the potential mechanisms by which exposure to EDCs during pregnancy increases the risk of obesity in children remain unclear. Objective: We aimed to explore associations between prenatal EDC exposure and the body mass index (BMI) of children at age two, and to further explore the potential impact of DNA methylation (DNAm). Method: This study included 285 mother–child pairs from a birth cohort conducted in Wuhan, China. The BMI of each child was assessed at around 24 months of age. The concentrations of sixteen EDCs at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimesters were measured using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The research utilized general linear models, weighted quantile sum regression, and Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression to assess the association between prenatal EDC exposure and childhood BMI z-scores (BMIz). Cord blood DNAm was measured using the Human Methylation EPIC BeadChip array. An epigenome-wide DNAm association study related to BMIz was performed using robust linear models. Mediation analysis was then applied to explore potential mediators of DNAm. Results: Urinary concentrations of seven EDCs were positively associated with BMIz in the 1st trimester, which remained significant in the WQS model. A total of 641 differential DNAm positions were associated with elevated BMIz. Twelve CpG positions (annotated to DUXA, TMEM132C, SEC13, ID4, GRM4, C2CD2, PRAC1&PRAC2, TSPAN6 and DNAH10) mediated the associations between urine BP-3/BPS/MEP/TCS and elevated BMIz (P

Objectives: Environmental exposure may affect the telomere length (TL) of newborns, which is considered as an early biomarker indicating susceptibility for later life diseases. However, the effects of prenatal organochlorine pesticide (OCP) exposure on newborn TL remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between prenatal exposure levels of OCPs during pregnancy and TL in neonatal cord blood. Methods: A total of 168 mother–infant pairs from a birth cohort in Wuhan, China, were included this study. The concentrations of hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs, including β-HCH, α-HCH, and γ-HCH), p,p’-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p,p’-DDT) and its metabolites (p,p’-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane, p,p’-DDD; p,p’-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, p,p’-DDE) were measured in cord blood. The associations between the OCPs and the TL in newborns were analyzed by a generalized linear regression model. Stratified analyses by newborn sex, maternal gestational weight gain, and pregnancy body mass index (BMI) were performed to evaluate if the associations were modified by these factors. Results: The detection rates of various OCPs ranged from 50.9% to 100.0%. The median concentration of p,p’-DDE was the highest (33.90 ng/g lipid), followed by β-HCH (8.67 ng/g lipid), and the median concentrations of the other OCPs were between 0.12 and 0.33 ng/g lipid. Among the all newborns, a two-fold increase in the γ-HCH concentration in the cord blood was significantly associated with a 0.024 (95% CI: −0.041, −0.007) decrease in the TL. After stratification by newborn sex, the inverse association between γ-HCH and the TL was only statistically significant in boys, but not in girls (P for interaction Conclusions: Prenatal exposure to OCPs during pregnancy was associated with a decreased neonatal telomere length, which may be affected by the newborn sex and pre-pregnancy BMI. These findings may provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying OCP-induced adverse health effects.

Glyphosate, ranked as one of the most widely used herbicides in the world, has raised concerns about its potential disruptive effects on sex hormones. However, limited human evidence was available, especially for children and adolescents. The present study aimed to examine the associations between exposure to glyphosate and sex hormones among participants aged 6–19 years, utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2013 and 2016. Children and adolescents who had available data on urinary glyphosate, serum sex steroid hormones, including testosterone (TT), estradiol (E2) and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and covariates were selected. Additionally, the ratio of TT to E2 (TT/E2) and the free androgen index (FAI), which was calculated using TT/SHBG, were also included as sex hormone indicators. Survey regression statistical modeling was used to examine the associations between urinary glyphosate concentration and sex hormone indicators by age and sex group. Among the 964 participants, 83.71% had been exposed to glyphosate (>lower limit of detection). The survey regression revealed a marginally negative association between urinary glyphosate and E2 in the overall population, while this association was more pronounced in adolescents with a significant trend. In further sex-stratified analyses among adolescents, a significant decrease in E2, FAI, and TT (p trend

Purpose: To investigate the effect of isometric prone trunk extension (IPTE) contraction intensity on the stiffness of erector spinae (ES), semitendinosus (ST), biceps femoris (BF), and gastrocnemius muscles to understand the overall muscle mechanical behavior during IPTE and to explore the mechanisms of oordinated contraction of the body kinetic chain.Methods: Twenty healthy females were recruited, and participants underwent IPTE at three contraction intensities, i.e., 0% maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), 30% MVIC, and 60% MVIC, and muscle stiffness was measured using MyotonPRO.Results: Muscle stiffness was moderately to strongly positively correlated with contraction intensity (r = 0.408–0.655, p < 0.001). The percentage increase in stiffness at low intensity was much greater in ES than in lower limb muscles and greater in ST and BF than in gastrocnemius, whereas at moderate intensity, the percentage increase in stiffness decreased in all muscles, and the percentage increase in stiffness in ES was lower than that in ST. There was a moderate to strong positive correlation between ES stiffness variation and ST (r = 0.758–0.902, p < 0.001), BF (r = 0.454–0.515, p < 0.05), MG (r = 0.643–0.652, p < 0.01), LG (r = 0.659–0.897, p < 0.01).Conclusion: IPTE significantly affected the stiffness of lumbar and lower limb muscles, and low-intensity IPTE activated the ES more efficiently. There were significant coordinated muscle contractions between ES, ST, and LG. This provides preliminary evidence for exploring the overall modulation pattern of the lumbar and lower limb muscles’ kinetic chains. In future studies, we will combine other stiffness assessment methods (such as Magnetic Resonance Elastography, Shear Wave Elastography, or electromyography) to corroborate our findings.

Background: Environmental inorganic arsenic (iAs) exposure is potentially related to abnormal blood pressure (BP) changes and abnormal platelet activation. However, limited epidemiological studies have explored the impacts of iAs exposure on platelet change mediated by BP, especially for pregnant women. Objectives: Our purpose was to investigate the associations of arsenic exposure with blood pressure and platelet indices among pregnant women. Methods: The present study population included 765 pregnant women drawn from a prospective birth cohort study in Wuhan, China, recruited between October 2013 and April 2016. Urine sampled in the second trimester were used to assess arsenic species concentrations. The relative distribution of urinary arsenic species was used to measure human methylation capacity. BP parameters and platelet indices originated from the medical record. We applied multivariable linear regression models to explore the cross-sectional relationships between urinary arsenic metabolites, BP parameters, and platelet indices. We utilized mediation analysis to investigate the impacts of arsenic exposure on platelet indices through BP as mediator variables. Results: We observed significant positive correlations between iAs and systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Pregnant women with higher methylation capacity to metabolize iAs characterized by higher secondary methylation index (SMI) and total methylation index (TMI) had a more significant reduction in SBP, DBP, and MAP. Pregnant women with higher DBP and MAP had higher platelet counts (PLC). A decreased PLC was found in subjects wither higher SMI. Additionally, SMI was negatively linked to PLC mediated through MAP. Conclusions: Obtained results suggested that higher methylation capacity to metabolize iAs might contribute to decreased PLC among pregnant women, and MAP might mediate the influence of SMI on PLC.

Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are common environmental contaminants and are widely detected in humans. Previous studies have linked PFASs exposure to adverse birth outcomes. However, the association between maternal exposure to PFASs and hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (HCT) remains unclear. Objectives: We aimed to explore the relationship between PFASs exposure with Hb and HCT during pregnancy. Methods: The present birth cohort study included 1044 pregnant women from Wuhan, China. Maternal HCT and Hb were measured in the first, second and third trimesters, and 13 PFASs were detected in the cord sera. Mixed linear models and general linear regression were applied to analyze the association between each single PFASs and Hb and HCT. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regressions were used to investigate the association between PFASs mixture and Hb and HCT during pregnancy. Results: In single-PFAS models, 10 PFASs were positively associated with HCT and Hb across pregnancy (a 10-fold increase in PFASs was associated with 1.47–3.54 % change in HCT and 1.46–3.20 % change in Hb (All P-FDR < 0.05). In addition, Hb and HCT were more positively related to PFASs in the second and third trimesters rather than the first trimester. The association between PFASs exposure and maternal HCT and Hb was not significant in the iron supplementation group, whereas significant in the non-iron supplementation group. A significant interaction between iron supplementation and non-iron supplementation was also detected. WQS regressions showed that perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) contributed most to the association between PFASs and HCT and Hb in the second and third trimesters, respectively. Conclusion: Maternal PFASs exposure was positive with serum Hb and HCT. Moreover, maternal iron supplementation may play a modifying effect in influencing the relationship between PFASs and HCT and Hb.