Search

Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF15) increases in circulation during pregnancy and has been implicated in food intake, weight loss, complications of pregnancy, and metabolic illness. We used a Gdf15 knockout mouse model (Gdf15−/−) to assess the role of GDF15 in body weight regulation and food intake during pregnancy. We found that Gdf15−/− dams consumed a similar amount of food and gained comparable weight during the course of pregnancy compared with Gdf15+/+ dams. Insulin sensitivity on gestational day 16.5 was also similar between genotypes. In the postnatal period, litter size and survival rates were similar between genotypes. There was a modest reduction in birth weight of Gdf15−/− pups, but this difference was no longer evident from postnatal day 3.5 to 14.5. We observed no detectable differences in milk volume production or milk fat percentage. These data suggest that GDF15 is dispensable for changes in food intake, and body weight as well as insulin sensitivity during pregnancy in a mouse model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the associations of trimester-specific maternal prenatal carbohydrate (CHO) intake with offspring adiposity and metabolic health during peripuberty.Design: Prospective cohort study in which maternal dietary intake was collected via validated FFQ during each trimester. Offspring adiposity and metabolic biomarkers were evaluated at age 8-14 years. We used multivariable linear regression to examine associations between total energy-adjusted maternal CHO intake and offspring BMI z-score, skinfold thickness and metabolic syndrome risk z-score calculated as the average of waist circumference, fasting glucose, fasting C-peptide, TAG:HDL and systolic blood pressure + diastolic blood pressure/2.Setting: Mexico City, Mexico.Participants: 237 mother-child pairs in the Early Life Exposure in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants cohort.Results: We found non-linear associations of maternal CHO intake during pregnancy with offspring metabolic health during peripuberty. After adjusting for maternal age, and child age, sex and pubertal status, children whose mothers were in the fourth v. first quartile of total CHO intake during the third trimester had 0·42 (95 % CI -0·01, 0·08) ng/ml lower C-peptide and 0·10 (95 % CI -0·02, 0·22) units lower C-peptide insulin resistance (CP-IR). We found similar magnitude and direction of association with respect to net CHO intake during the first trimester and offspring C-peptide and CP-IR. Maternal CHO intake during pregnancy was not associated with offspring adiposity.Conclusions: In this study of mother-child pairs in Mexico City, children born to women in the highest quartile of CHO intake during pregnancy had lowest C-peptide and CP-IR during peripuberty. Additional research is warranted to replicate and identify mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF15) increases in circulation during pregnancy and has been implicated in food intake, weight loss, complications of pregnancy, and metabolic illness. We used a Gdf15 knockout mouse model ( Gdf15 -/- ) to assess the role of GDF15 in body weight regulation and food intake during pregnancy. We found that Gdf15 -/- dams consumed a similar amount of food and gained comparable weight during the course of pregnancy compared to Gdf15 +/+ dams. Insulin sensitivity on gestational day 16.5 was also similar between genotypes. In the postnatal period, litter size, and survival rates were similar between genotypes. There was a modest reduction in birth weight of Gdf15 -/- pups, but this difference was no longer evident postnatal day 3.5 to 14.5. We observed no detectable differences in milk volume production or milk fat percentage. These data suggest that GDF15 is dispensable for changes in food intake, and body weight as well as insulin sensitivity during pregnancy in a mouse model.