In recent years, a growing number of clinical studies and animal models have shown that adverse intrauterine nutrition can reprogram the disease trajectory and significantly increase the risk of metabolic abnormalities in adulthood. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis has been proposed and emphasizes the link between the intrauterine environment and the development of chronic metabolic diseases in later life, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic syndrome. The fetus adjusts its homeostasis system by making predictive adaptations to the intrauterine environment to help instant survival and to improve later survival in an expected postnatal environment. However, inappropriate predictions of these changes to the intrauterine nutrition environment may lead to a mismatch between nutrition in uterine and postnatal reality, and finally result in an increased risk of chronic diseases in adulthood, which can be transmitted to future generations. Although the specific mechanism is largely unclear, epigenetics, microbiome dysbiosis, placental dysfunctions, and circadian rhythm disorders were all considered as important mediators for this metabolic reprogramming.
This Research Topic aims to contribute to filling the gap in the knowledge about nutrition in the uterus and metabolic health in adulthood. Furthermore, identifying the molecular mechanisms deciphering the link between intrauterine nutrition and metabolism in adulthood and potential intervention approaches to interrupt the adverse effects would provide some novel targets and strategies for the early prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases.
i. Capture the science related to intrauterine nutrition and metabolism in adulthood.
ii. Clarify the molecular programming mechanism of intrauterine nutrition and adult metabolism, including:
a) epigenetics
b) microbiome
c) placenta
d) circadian rhythm
iii. Explore potential intervention approaches to improve the adverse effects of intrauterine malnutrition on metabolism in adulthood, including:
a) diet and lifestyle modification
b) exercise
c) bioactive ingredients
d) fiber supplementation
e) prebiotics and probiotics
In recent years, a growing number of clinical studies and animal models have shown that adverse intrauterine nutrition can reprogram the disease trajectory and significantly increase the risk of metabolic abnormalities in adulthood. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis has been proposed and emphasizes the link between the intrauterine environment and the development of chronic metabolic diseases in later life, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic syndrome. The fetus adjusts its homeostasis system by making predictive adaptations to the intrauterine environment to help instant survival and to improve later survival in an expected postnatal environment. However, inappropriate predictions of these changes to the intrauterine nutrition environment may lead to a mismatch between nutrition in uterine and postnatal reality, and finally result in an increased risk of chronic diseases in adulthood, which can be transmitted to future generations. Although the specific mechanism is largely unclear, epigenetics, microbiome dysbiosis, placental dysfunctions, and circadian rhythm disorders were all considered as important mediators for this metabolic reprogramming.
This Research Topic aims to contribute to filling the gap in the knowledge about nutrition in the uterus and metabolic health in adulthood. Furthermore, identifying the molecular mechanisms deciphering the link between intrauterine nutrition and metabolism in adulthood and potential intervention approaches to interrupt the adverse effects would provide some novel targets and strategies for the early prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases.
i. Capture the science related to intrauterine nutrition and metabolism in adulthood.
ii. Clarify the molecular programming mechanism of intrauterine nutrition and adult metabolism, including:
a) epigenetics
b) microbiome
c) placenta
d) circadian rhythm
iii. Explore potential intervention approaches to improve the adverse effects of intrauterine malnutrition on metabolism in adulthood, including:
a) diet and lifestyle modification
b) exercise
c) bioactive ingredients
d) fiber supplementation
e) prebiotics and probiotics
