Association between nutritional/life-environmental factors causing epigenetic changes during pregnancy and healthy parameters of mother and child

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K12896
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Eating habits
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: IMAI Chihiro 東京医科歯科大学, 難治疾患研究所, 助教 (50778842)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 母子コホート研究 / 妊娠期環境要因 / 妊娠期栄養 / DNAメチル化 / 妊娠によるエピゲノム変化 / DOHaD

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We performed a prospective cohort study of pregnant women, and analyzed the methylation levels of variably methylated sites, including CPT1A intron 1 and SREBF1 intron 1, which were previously revealed that lipid-related traits. Although methylation of SREBF1 was associated with BMI and LDL-cholesterol at mid-gestation, this association was attenuated at late gestation, which was consistent with the metabolic switch from an anabolic to a catabolic state. The BMI association with CPT1A intron 1 methylation was strengthened at late gestation, which was mediated by a BMI-dependent change in the lymphocyte proportion. Thus, this study has shown that leukocyte methylation of the adiposity-related differentially methylated regions is sensitive to the metabolic and immunological changes that occur during mid-to-late gestation.

Free Research Field

公衆栄養

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、妊娠中の母体血における脂質代謝関連遺伝子のエピゲノムが、妊娠期特有の代謝変化や免疫学的変化に影響されて変化することを示した。妊娠期の母体環境を適切にすることは、母体の産後のみならず児の出生後の健康にも重要であることが明らかになっている。母児にもたらされるエピゲノム変化は、さまざまな結果形質が顕在化する前の予測因子としての価値を見出せる可能性がある。本研究のように、同一母児を前向きに追跡し、母児エピゲノム、栄養摂取状況、生活環境要因、メンタルヘルス、身体形質などの情報を包括的に解析するコホート研究を日本において行うことは、今後の予防医療を推進するために重要である。