Effects of early-life amino acids supplementation on fish responses to a thermal challenge.

Nutritional programming is a promising concept for promoting metabolic adaptation of fish to challenging conditions, such as the increase in water temperature. The present work evaluates in ovo arginine or glutamine supplementation as enhancers of zebrafish metabolic or absorptive capacity, respectively, at optimum (28 ºC) and challenging temperatures (32 ºC) in the long-term. Growth performance, free amino acids profile, methylation index and the activity levels of digestive and intermediary metabolism enzymes were analysed to assess the metabolic plasticity induced by an early nutritional intervention. Temperature affected fish larvae growth performance. At the end of the experimental period 28 ºC-fish showed higher dry weight than 32 ºC-fish. The effects of the early supplementation were reflected in the larval free amino acids profile at the end of the experiment. Higher methylation potential was observed in the ARG-fish. In ovo amino acid supplementation modulated the metabolic response in zebrafish larvae, however, the magnitude of this effect differed according to the amino acid and the temperature. Overall, arginine supplementation enhanced carbohydrates metabolism at 32 ºC. In conclusion, the present work suggests that in ovo arginine supplementation may promote a better adaptive response to higher temperatures.

Feeding Parenteral Nutrition in the Neonatal Period Programs Dyslipidemia in Adulthood in Yucatan Miniature Pigs.

BACKGROUND: Early nutritional challenges can lead to permanent metabolic changes, increasing risk of developing chronic diseases later in life. Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is a life-saving nutrition regimen, used especially in intrauterine growth-restricted (IUGR) neonates. Early TPN feeding alters metabolism, but whether these alterations are permanent is unclear. Programmed metabolism is likely caused by epigenetic changes due to imbalances of methyl nutrients. OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine whether feeding TPN in early life would increase risk of developing dyslipidemia in adulthood and whether supplementing the methyl nutrients betaine and creatine to TPN would prevent this development. We also sought to determine whether IUGR exacerbates the effects of neonatal TPN on lipid metabolism in adulthood. METHODS: Female piglets (n = 32; 7 d old) were used in 4 treatments: 24 normal-weight piglets were randomly assigned to sow-fed (SowFed), standard TPN (TPN-control), and TPN with betaine and creatine (TPN-B+C); 8 IUGR piglets were fed control TPN (TPN-IUGR) as a fourth group. After 2 wk of treatment, all pigs were then fed a standard solid diet. At 8 mo old, central venous catheters were implanted to conduct postprandial fat tolerance tests. RESULTS: Feeding TPN in the neonatal period led to dyslipidemia in adulthood, as indicated by higher postprandial triglyceride (TG) levels in TPN-control (P < 0.05), compared with SowFed. IUGR piglets were particularly sensitive to neonatal TPN feeding, as TPN-IUGR piglets developed obesity and dyslipidemia in adulthood, as indicated by greater backfat thickness (P < 0.05), higher liver TG (P < 0.05), slower postprandial TG clearance (P < 0.05), and elevated fasting plasma nonhigh-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (P < 0.01), and nonesterified fatty acids (P < 0.001), compared with TPN-control. CONCLUSIONS: Feeding TPN in early life increases the risk of developing dyslipidemia in adulthood, especially in IUGR neonates; however, methyl nutrient supplementation to TPN did not prevent TPN-induced changes in lipid metabolism.

Modulation of gut microbiota composition and predicted metabolic capacity after nutritional programming with a plant-rich diet in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar): insights across developmental stages.

To promote sustainable aquaculture, the formulation of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) feeds has changed in recent decades, focusing on replacing standard marine-based ingredients with plant-based alternatives, increasingly demonstrating successful outcomes in terms of fish performance. However, little is known about how these plant-based diets may impact the gut microbiota at first feeding and onwards. Nutritional programming (NP) is one strategy applied for exposing fish to a plant-based (V) diet at an early stage in life to promote full utilisation of plant-based ingredients and prevent potential adverse impacts of exposure to a plant-rich diet later in life. We investigated the impact of NP on gut microbiota by introducing fish to plant ingredients (V fish) during first feeding for a brief period of two weeks (stimulus phase) and compared those to fish fed a marine-based diet (M fish). Results demonstrated that V fish not only maintained growth performance at 16 (intermediate phase) and 22 (challenge phase) weeks post first feeding (wpff) when compared to M fish but also modulated gut microbiota. PERMANOVA general effects revealed gut microbiota dissimilarity by fish group (V vs. M fish) and phases (stimulus vs. intermediate vs. challenge). However, no interaction effect of both groups and phases was demonstrated, suggesting a sustained impact of V diet (nutritional history) on fish across time points/phases. Moreover, the V diet exerted a significant cumulative modulatory effect on the Atlantic salmon gut microbiota at 16 wpff that was not demonstrated at two wpff, although both fish groups were fed the M diet at 16 wpff. The nutritional history/dietary regime is the main NP influencing factor, whereas environmental and host factors significantly impacted microbiota composition in M fish. Microbial metabolic reactions of amino acid metabolism were higher in M fish when compared to V fish at two wpff suggesting microbiota played a role in digesting the essential amino acids of M feed. The excessive mucin O-degradation revealed in V fish at two wpff was mitigated in later life stages after NP, suggesting physiological adaptability and tolerance to V diet. Future studies are required to explore more fully how the microbiota functionally contributes to the NP.

Infant Milk Formula with Large, Milk Phospholipid-coated Lipid Droplets Enriched in Dairy Lipids Affects Body Mass Index Trajectories and Blood Pressure at School Age: Follow-up of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Human milk comprises large fat globules enveloped by a native phospholipid membrane, whereas infant formulas contain small, protein-coated lipid droplets. Previous experimental studies indicated that mimicking the architecture of human milk lipid droplets in infant milk formula (IMF) alters lipid metabolism with lasting beneficial impact on later metabolic health. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate in a follow-up (FU) study of a randomized, controlled trial whether a Concept IMF with large, milk phospholipid-coated lipid droplets enriched with dairy lipids beneficially impacts long-term body mass index (BMI in kg/m2) trajectories and blood pressure at school age. METHODS: Fully formula-fed infants were randomly assigned to Concept IMF (n = 115) or Control IMF with conventional, small lipid droplets containing vegetable oils (n = 108) for the first 4 mo of age. A group of 88 breastfed infants served as a reference. During FU, anthropometrics were collected at 1, 3, 4, and 5 y of age, and blood pressure only at the last visit. RESULTS: Compared to Control, Concept group children had consistently lower mean BMI values during FU, with the most marked difference at 1 y of age (difference in means -0.71 kg/m2, 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.13, -0.29; P = 0.001); mean values were close to the breastfed group (P > 0.05). Contrary, the mean BMI values of the Control group were higher compared with the breastfed group during FU from 1 to 5 y of age (differences in means from 0.59 to 0.96 kg/m2, respectively; P < 0.02). At 5 y of age, the Concept group had a lower mean diastolic and arterial blood pressure compared with the Control group; -4.3mm Hg (95% CI: -7.3, -1.3; P = 0.005) and -3.7 mm Hg (95% CI: -6.5, -0.9; P = 0.01), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Early life feeding of an innovative IMF with large, milk phospholipid-coated lipid droplets enriched with dairy lipids results in a BMI trajectory closer to breastfed infants and a lower blood pressure at school age. This trial was registered at the Dutch Trial Register as NTR3683 and NTR5538.

Early-Life Exposure to Dietary Large Phospholipid-Coated Lipid Droplets Improves Markers of Metabolic and Immune Function in Adipose Tissue Later in Life in a Mouse Model.

SCOPE: Human milk (HM) is considered optimal nutrition for infants, beneficially programming adult health outcomes including reduced obesity risk. Early life exposure to infant formula with lipid droplets closely resembling the structural properties of HM lipid globules (Nuturis) attenuated white adipose tissue (WAT) accumulation in mice upon adult western-style diet (WSD) feeding. Here, the study aims to elucidate underlying mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mice are raised on control or Nuturis diets between postnatal days 16-42 followed by either standard diet or WSD for 16 weeks. While the adult body composition of mice on a standard diet is not significantly affected, Nuturis reduced adiposity in mice on WSD. Morphologically, mean adipocyte size is reduced in Nuturis-raised mice, independent of adult diet exposure, and WAT macrophage content is reduced, albeit not significantly. Transcriptomics of epididymal WAT indicate potential beneficial effects on energy metabolism and macrophage function by Nuturis. CONCLUSION: Reduced adult adiposity by early life exposure to Nuturis appears to be associated with smaller adipocytes and alterations in WAT immune and energy metabolism. These results suggest that early modulation of WAT structure and/or function may contribute to the protective programming effects of the early-life Nuturis diet on later-life adiposity.

Broodstock nutritional programming differentially affects the hepatic transcriptome and genome-wide DNA methylome of farmed gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) depending on genetic background.

BACKGROUND: Broodstock nutritional programming improves the offspring utilization of plant-based diets in gilthead sea bream through changes in hepatic metabolism. Attention was initially focused on fatty acid desaturases, but it can involve a wide range of processes that remain largely unexplored. How all this can be driven by a different genetic background is hardly underlined, and the present study aimed to assess how broodstock nutrition affects differentially the transcriptome and genome-wide DNA methylome of reference and genetically selected fish within the PROGENSA® selection program. RESULTS: After the stimulus phase with a low fish oil diet, two offspring subsets of each genetic background received a control or a FUTURE-based diet. This highlighted a different hepatic transcriptome (RNA-seq) and genome-wide DNA methylation (MBD-seq) pattern depending on the genetic background. The number of differentially expressed transcripts following the challenge phase varied from 323 in reference fish to 2,009 in genetically selected fish. The number of discriminant transcripts, and associated enriched functions, were also markedly higher in selected fish. Moreover, correlation analysis depicted a hyper-methylated and down-regulated gene expression state in selected fish with the FUTURE diet, whereas the opposite pattern appeared in reference fish. After filtering for highly represented functions in selected fish, 115 epigenetic markers were retrieved in this group. Among them, lipid metabolism genes (23) were the most reactive following ordering by fold-change in expression, rendering a final list of 10 top markers with a key role on hepatic lipogenesis and fatty acid metabolism (cd36, pitpna, cidea, fasn, g6pd, lipt1, scd1a, acsbg2, acsl14, acsbg2). CONCLUSIONS: Gene expression profiles and methylation signatures were dependent on genetic background in our experimental model. Such assumption affected the magnitude, but also the type and direction of change. Thus, the resulting epigenetic clock of reference fish might depict an older phenotype with a lower methylation for the epigenetically responsive genes with a negative methylation-expression pattern. Therefore, epigenetic markers will be specific of each genetic lineage, serving the broodstock programming in our selected fish to prevent and mitigate later in life the risk of hepatic steatosis through changes in hepatic lipogenesis and fatty acid metabolism.

Human Breast Milk miRNAs: Their Diversity and Potential for Preventive Strategies in Nutritional Therapy.

The endogenous miRNAs of breast milk are the products of more than 1000 nonprotein-coding genes, giving rise to mature small regulatory molecules of 19-25 nucleotides. They are incorporated in macromolecular complexes, loaded on Argonaute proteins, sequestrated in exosomes and lipid complexes, or present in exfoliated cells of epithelial, endothelial, or immune origins. Their expression is dependent on the stage of lactation; however, their detection depends on progress in RNA sequencing and the reappraisal of the definition of small RNAs. Some miRNAs from plants are detected in breast milk, opening the possibility of the stimulation of immune cells from the allergy repertoire. Each miRNA harbors a seeding sequence, which targets mRNAs, gene promoters, or long noncoding RNAs. Their activities depend on their bioavailability. Efficient doses of miRNAs are estimated to be roughly 100 molecules in the cytoplasm of target cells from in vitro and in vivo experiments. Each miRNA is included in networks of stimulation/inhibition/sequestration, driving the expression of cellular phenotypes. Three types of stress applied during lactation to manipulate miRNA supply were explored using rodent offspring: a foster mother, a cafeteria diet, and early weaning. This review presents the main mature miRNAs described from current mothers' cohorts and their bioavailability in experimental models as well as studies assessing the potential of miR-26 or miR-320 miRNA families to alter offspring phenotypes.

Maternal nutritional programming shapes the cerebral landscape.

The escalating prevalence of maternal obesity raises concerns about its influence on offspring health. Exposure to obesogenic environments during early development leads to persistent alterations in brain function contributing to neurological disorders. Nutritional programming emerges as a promising avenue to counteract the deleterious effects of maternal obesity on offspring neurodevelopment.

Interaction of pre- and postnatal nutrition on expression of leptin receptor variants and transporter molecules, leptin transport, and functional response to leptin in heifers†.

Perinatal nutrition modulates the hypothalamic neurocircuitries controlling GnRH release, thus programming pubertal maturation in female mammals. Objectives of experiments reported here were to test the hypotheses that prenatal nutrition during mid- to late gestation interacts with postnatal nutrition during the juvenile period in heifer offspring to alter expression of leptin receptor (LepR) variants (ObRa, ObRb, ObRc, ObRt), and lipoprotein transporter molecules (LRP1 and 2) in the choroid plexus, leptin transport across the blood-brain barrier, and hypothalamic-hypophyseal responsiveness to exogenous ovine leptin (oleptin) during fasting. Nutritional programming of heifers employed a 3 × 2 factorial design of maternal (high, H; low, L; and moderate, M) × postnatal (H and L) dietary treatments. Results (Expt. 1) demonstrated that prepubertal heifers born to L dams, regardless of postnatal diet, had reduced expression of the short isoform of ObRc compared to H and M dams, with sporadic effects of undernutrition (L or LL) on ObRb, ObRt, and LRP1. Intravenous administration of oleptin to a selected postpubertal group (HH, MH, LL) of ovariectomized, estradiol-implanted heifers fasted for 56 h (Expt. 2) did not create detectable increases in third ventricle cerebrospinal fluid but increased gonadotropin secretion in all nutritional groups tested. Previous work has shown that leptin enhances gonadotropin secretion during fasting via effects at both hypothalamic and anterior pituitary levels in cattle. Given the apparent lack of robust transfer of leptin across the blood-brain barrier in the current study, effects of leptin at the adenohypophyseal level may predominate in this experimental model.

High-fat diet in early life triggers both reversible and persistent epigenetic changes in the medaka fish (Oryzias latipes).

BACKGROUND: The nutritional status during early life can have enduring effects on an animal's metabolism, although the mechanisms underlying these long-term effects are still unclear. Epigenetic modifications are considered a prime candidate mechanism for encoding early-life nutritional memories during this critical developmental period. However, the extent to which these epigenetic changes occur and persist over time remains uncertain, in part due to challenges associated with directly stimulating the fetus with specific nutrients in viviparous mammalian systems. RESULTS: In this study, we used medaka as an oviparous vertebrate model to establish an early-life high-fat diet (HFD) model. Larvae were fed with HFD from the hatching stages (one week after fertilization) for six weeks, followed by normal chow (NC) for eight weeks until the adult stage. We examined the changes in the transcriptomic and epigenetic state of the liver over this period. We found that HFD induces simple liver steatosis, accompanied by drastic changes in the hepatic transcriptome, chromatin accessibility, and histone modifications, especially in metabolic genes. These changes were largely reversed after the long-term NC, demonstrating the high plasticity of the epigenetic state in hepatocytes. However, we found a certain number of genomic loci showing non-reversible epigenetic changes, especially around genes related to cell signaling, liver fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, implying persistent changes in the cellular state of the liver triggered by early-life HFD feeding. CONCLUSION: In summary, our data show that early-life HFD feeding triggers both reversible and persistent epigenetic changes in medaka hepatocytes. Our data provide novel insights into the epigenetic mechanism of nutritional programming and a comprehensive atlas of the long-term epigenetic state in an early-life HFD model of non-mammalian vertebrates.

Maternal Exposure to Red Rooibos Does Not Alter Bone Development in Male or Female Sprague-Dawley Rat Offspring.

Maternal diet during pregnancy and/or throughout lactation provides a potential opportunity for nutritional programming of offspring bone development. Objectives of this study were to determine whether maternal consumption of red rooibos (RR) throughout pregnancy and lactation improved bone mineral density (BMD), bone structure, and bone strength in offspring and to determine potential sex-specific responses. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to control water or RR in water (2600 mg/kg body weight/d) from prepregnancy through to the end of lactation. At weaning, offspring were fed AIN-93G diet until age 3 mo. Longitudinal assessment of the tibia demonstrated that maternal exposure to RR did not alter the trajectory of BMD or bone structure in male or female offspring compared with sex-specific controls at age 1, 2, or 3 mo or bone strength at age 3 mo. In conclusion, maternal exposure to RR did not program bone development in male or female offspring.

Nutritional Programming of the Lifespan of Male Drosophila by Activating FOXO on Larval Low-Nutrient Diet.

Nutrition during the developmental stages has long-term effects on adult physiology, disease and lifespan, and is termed nutritional programming. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of nutritional programming are not yet well understood. In this study, we showed that developmental diets could regulate the lifespan of adult Drosophila in a way that interacts with various adult diets during development and adulthood. Importantly, we demonstrated that a developmental low-yeast diet (0.2SY) extended both the health span and lifespan of male flies under nutrient-replete conditions in adulthood through nutritional programming. Males with a low-yeast diets during developmental stages had a better resistance to starvation and lessened decline of climbing ability with age in adulthood. Critically, we revealed that the activity of the Drosophila transcription factor FOXO (dFOXO) was upregulated in adult males under developmental low-nutrient conditions. The knockdown of dFOXO, with both ubiquitous and fat-body-specific patterns, can completely abolish the lifespan-extending effect from the larval low-yeast diet. Ultimately, we identify that the developmental diet achieved the nutritional programming of the lifespan of adult males by modulating the activity of dFOXO in Drosophila. Together, these results provide molecular evidence that the nutrition in the early life of animals could program the health of their later life and their longevity.

Efficacy of dietary vitamin D3 and 25(OH)D3 on reproductive capacities, growth performance, immunity and bone development in pigs.

Vitamin D3 (Vit D3) and 25(OH)D3 are used as dietary sources of active vitamin D (1,25(OH)2D3) in pig husbandry. Although acting primarily on intestine, kidney and bone, their use in pig nutrition has shown a wide range of effects also in peripheral tissues. However, there is an ambiguity in the existing literature about whether the effects of Vit D3 and 25(OH)D3 differ in attributing the molecular and phenotypic outcomes in pigs. We searched Web of Science and PubMed databases concerning the efficacy of Vit D3 in comparison with 25(OH)D3 on pig physiology, i.e. reproductive capacities, growth performance, immunity and bone development. Dietary intake of Vit D3 or 25(OH)D3 did not influence the reproductive capacity of sows. Unlike Vit D3, the maternal intake of 25(OH)D3 significantly improved the growth performance of piglets, which might be attributed to maternally induced micronutrient efficiency. Consequently, even in the absence of maternal vitamin D supplementation, 25(OH)D3-fed offspring also demonstrated better growth than the offspring received Vit D3. Moreover, a similar superior impact of 25(OH)D3 was seen with respect to serum markers of innate and humoral immunity. Last but not least, supplements containing 25(OH)D3 were found to be more effective than Vit D3 to improve bone mineralisation and formation, especially in pigs receiving basal diets low in Ca and phosphorus. The insights are of particular value in determining the principal dietary source of vitamin D to achieve its optimum utilisation efficiency, nutritional benefits and therapeutic potency and to further improve animal welfare across different management types.

Neonatal overnutrition, but not neonatal undernutrition, disrupts CCK-induced hypophagia and neuron activation of the nucleus of the solitary tract and paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus of male Wistar rats.

Metabolic programming may be induced by reduction or enhancement of litter size, which lead to neonatal over or undernutrition, respectively. Changes in neonatal nutrition can challenge some regulatory processes in adulthood, such as the hypophagic effect of cholecystokinin (CCK). In order to investigate the effects of nutritional programming on the anorexigenic function of CCK in adulthood, pups were raised in small (SL, 3 pups per dam), normal (NL, 10 pups per dam), or large litters (LL, 16 pups per dam), and on postnatal day 60, male rats were treated with vehicle or CCK (10 µg/Kg) for the evaluation of food intake and c-Fos expression in the area postrema (AP), nucleus of solitary tract (NTS), and paraventricular (PVN), arcuate (ARC), ventromedial (VMH), and dorsomedial (DMH) nuclei of the hypothalamus. Overnourished rats showed increased body weight gain that was inversely correlated with neuronal activation of PaPo, VMH, and DMH neurons, whereas undernourished rats had lower body weight gain, inversely correlated with increased neuronal activation of PaPo only. SL rats showed no anorexigenic response and lower neuron activation in the NTS and PVN induced by CCK. LL exhibited preserved hypophagia and neuron activation in the AP, NTS, and PVN in response to CCK. CCK showed no effect in c-Fos immunoreactivity in the ARC, VMH, and DMH in any litter. These results indicate that anorexigenic actions, associated with neuron activation in the NTS and PVN, induced by CCK were impaired by neonatal overnutrition. However, these responses were not disrupted by neonatal undernutrition. Thus, data suggest that an excess or poor supply of nutrients during lactation display divergent effects on programming CCK satiation signaling in male adult rats.

Dietary administration of l-carnitine during the fattening period of early feed restricted lambs modifies lipid metabolism and meat quality.

Early feed restriction of lambs promotes a permanent mitochondrial dysfunction that impairs ß-oxidation of fatty acids along the whole life. Therefore, dietary l-carnitine might help to improve the mitochondrial function of these lambs, thus modifying lipid metabolism and meat quality traits. In order to test this hypothesis an experiment was carried out with 22 Merino lambs that were subjected to an early feed restriction during the suckling period. Once weaned, the lambs were allocated to a control group (CTRL, n = 11) being fed ad libitum a complete pelleted diet during the fattening phase, whereas the second group (CARN, n = 11) received the same diet formulated with 3 g/kg of l-carnitine. Carcass characteristics were not affected (P > 0.05) by treatment. However, lambs fed l-carnitine showed higher amounts of intramuscular fat (26.5 vs. 33.6 g/kg fresh matter; P = 0.047) with a lower ratio between polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids (0.425 vs 0.333; P = 0.023) and a higher atherogenic (0.507 vs 0.597; P < 0.001) and thrombogenic index (1.23 vs 1.42; P < 0.001). An increase in lightness (P < 0.05) and a tendency to improved oxidative stability in cooked meat (P = 0.066) were also observed in the CARN group. Consequently, dietary l-carnitine supplied during the fattening period of early feed restricted lambs modifies meat quality traits thus increasing lightness, oxidative stability and intramuscular fat content, but worsening the fatty acid profile.

Maternal dietary methionine restriction alters hepatic expression of one-carbon metabolism and epigenetic mechanism genes in the ducklings.

BACKGROUND: Embryonic and fetal development is very susceptible to the availability of nutrients that can interfere with the setting of epigenomes, thus modifying the main metabolic pathways and impacting the health and phenotypes of the future individual. We have previously reported that a 38% reduction of the methyl donor methionine in the diet of 30 female ducks reduced the body weight of their 180 mule ducklings compared to that of 190 ducklings from 30 control females. The maternal methionine-restricted diet also altered plasmatic parameters in 30 of their ducklings when compared to that of 30 ducklings from the control group. Thus, their plasma glucose and triglyceride concentrations were higher while their free fatty acid level and alanine transaminase activity were decreased. Moreover, the hepatic transcript level of 16 genes involved in pathways related to energy metabolism was significantly different between the two groups of ducklings. In the present work, we continued studying the liver of these newly hatched ducklings to explore the impact of the maternal dietary methionine restriction on the hepatic transcript level of 70 genes mostly involved in one-carbon metabolism and epigenetic mechanisms. RESULTS: Among the 12 genes (SHMT1, GART, ATIC, FTCD, MSRA, CBS, CTH, AHCYL1, HSBP1, DNMT3, HDAC9 and EZH2) identified as differentially expressed between the two maternal diet groups (p-value < 0.05), 3 of them were involved in epigenetic mechanisms. Ten other studied genes (MTR, GLRX, MTHFR, AHCY, ADK, PRDM2, EEF1A1, ESR1, PLAGL1, and WNT11) tended to be differently expressed (0.05 < p-value < 0.10). Moreover, the maternal dietary methionine restriction altered the number and nature of correlations between expression levels of differential genes for one-carbon metabolism and epigenetic mechanisms, expression levels of differential genes for energy metabolism, and phenotypic traits of ducklings. CONCLUSION: This avian model showed that the maternal dietary methionine restriction impacted both the mRNA abundance of 22 genes involved in one-carbon metabolism or epigenetic mechanisms and the mRNA abundance of 16 genes involved in energy metabolism in the liver of the newly hatched offspring, in line with the previously observed changes in their phenotypic traits.

Nutritional Programming: History, Hypotheses, and the Role of Prenatal Factors in the Prevention of Metabolic Diseases-A Narrative Review.

Childhood obesity and the numerous lifestyle diseases associated with it are undoubtedly among the key problems in modern medicine and public health. However, this problem concerns not only the present or immediate future, but also the longer term. Adult health is fundamentally shaped in the first years of life and in the fetal period. The preconceptual period, which is responsible for the proper preparation of the internal environment for the life and development of the fetus during pregnancy, is also significant. A special role in describing the phenomenon of conditioning the metabolism of the new human being is now attributed to the theory of nutritional programming. Research in this area was pioneered by David Barker, who put forward the theory of the "stunted phenotype" and described the relationship between a child's birth weight, which is largely a consequence of the mother's feeding behaviour, and diseases such as ischaemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes (T2D), dyslipidemia, or high blood pressure. This narrative review aims to provide an overview of the history, theory, and prenatal mechanisms involved in nutritional programming and its relationship to childhood obesity and other metabolic diseases.

Effects of prenatal dietary rumen-protected choline supplementation during late gestation on calf growth, metabolism, and vaccine response.

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of prenatal supplementation and dose of rumen-protected choline (RPC) on neonatal calf growth, metabolism, and vaccine response. Parous Holstein cows were blocked by calving month and randomly assigned within block to receive 45 g/d of RPC [20.4 g/d of choline ions (CHOL45), n = 19], 30 g/d of RPC [13.6 g/d of choline ions (CHOL30), n = 22], or no RPC (CON, n = 19) as a top-dress, starting 24 d before expected calving. Calf body weights were recorded for the first 3 wk of life. All calves were fed colostrum replacer (300 g of IgG) at birth, and apparent efficiency of IgG absorption was calculated. On d 1, 7, 14, and 21, blood samples were taken to quantify plasma reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, antioxidant potential, haptoglobin, nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), ß-hydroxybutyrate, and glucose. Calves received an intranasal vaccine at birth, and nasal secretions were collected on d 0, 7, 10, 14, and 21 to quantify bovine respiratory syncytial virus-specific IgA. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models including the fixed effects of treatment, time (when applicable), calf sex, and prepartum dam data (-24 d) along with interactions. Treatment did not affect calf body weight, ß-hydroxybutyrate, or glucose concentrations. For apparent efficiency of IgG absorption, treatment interacted with the dam's prepartum body condition score. Where the dam's body condition score was ≤3.25, IgG absorption was reduced in calves born from CHOL45 dams as compared with calves from either CHOL30 or CON dams. Calves from CHOL30 dams had a lesser oxidative stress index (OSi; reactive oxygen and nitrogen species/antioxidant potential) than calves from CON dams. Haptoglobin concentrations were less in heifer calves from CHOL45 dams as compared with heifers from CON dams. The dam's prepartum NEFA concentration interacted with treatment. When dam NEFA was minimal, calves from CHOL45 and CHOL30 dams had greater or tended to have greater NEFA, respectively. Conversely, when dam NEFA was greater, calves from CHOL30 and CHOL45 dams had lesser or tended to have lesser NEFA than calves from CON dams, respectively. For vaccine response, treatment interacted with the dam's prepartum OSi. Among calves born from dams with a greater OSi, calves from CHOL45 and CHOL30 dams had lesser bovine respiratory syncytial virus-specific IgA concentrations in nasal secretions as compared with CON. Prenatal RPC supplementation during late gestation affected IgG absorption, neonatal calf metabolism, and vaccine response with some effects dependent on the dam's prepartum parameters.

Effects of applying nutritional programming at different early stages of Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides, Lacepède) development on growth and dietary plant protein utilization.

Plant protein (PP) utilization in fish is limited due to lower digestibility compared to fishmeal (FM) and the presence of antinutritional factors. Its utilization can be improved by nutritional programming (NP), a method wherein a fish is provided a nutritional stimulus early in life which can alter their physiology. NP has been shown to be effective but methods of applying NP are varied and have been applied at different stages of development with different outcomes. To find the optimal timeframe to perform NP in fish early stages Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides, Lacepède) were nutritionally programmed at three different ages in early development. In this study bass were programmed with: (1) live food enriched with soybean meal (SBM) from 6 to 15 days post-hatch (dph) (NPL), (2) SBM-based formulated diet from 16 to 25 dph (NPD1) and (3) formulated SBM-diet from 26 to 35 dph (NPD2). After programming, each group was fed FM-diet before being refed SBM-diet from 100 to 172 dph. A positive control (PC) was fed FM-diet throughout. Final average body weight of PC was significantly higher than NPD1 and NPD2 but did not significantly differ from NPL. Overall NPL showed much improved growth and utilization of PP compared to NPD1 and was similar to growth achieved by PC. This study showed an optimum window of time exists wherein NP of Largemouth bass yields the best impact on growth in the larval stage and later in life when fed SBM-diet. Programming should be performed right after mouth opening using enriched live food and can result in growth similar to non-programmed fish fed FM-based diet. Programming effects similar to that of the live food approach can be achieved with formulated diet, however it is crucial that Largemouth bass are of a proper age and sufficiently developed when programmed with dry food or severe impacts on growth can occur.

Galactose in the Post-Weaning Diet Programs Improved Circulating Adiponectin Concentrations and Skeletal Muscle Insulin Signaling.

Short-term post-weaning nutrition can result in long-lasting effects in later life. Partial replacement of glucose by galactose in the post-weaning diet showed direct effects on liver inflammation. Here, we examined this program on body weight, body composition, and insulin sensitivity at the adult age. Three-week-old female C57BL/6JRccHsd mice were fed a diet with glucose plus galactose (GAL; 16 energy% (en%) each) or a control diet with glucose (GLU; 32 en%) for three weeks, and afterward, both groups were given the same high-fat diet (HFD). After five weeks on a HFD, an oral glucose tolerance test was performed. After nine weeks on a HFD, energy metabolism was assessed by indirect calorimetry, and fasted mice were sacrificed fifteen minutes after a glucose bolus, followed by serum and tissue analyses. Body weight and body composition were not different between the post-weaning dietary groups, during the post-weaning period, or the HFD period. Glucose tolerance and energy metabolism in adulthood were not affected by the post-weaning diet. Serum adiponectin concentrations were significantly higher (p = 0.02) in GAL mice while insulin, leptin, and insulin-like growth factor 1 concentrations were not affected. Expression of Adipoq mRNA was significantly higher in gonadal white adipose tissue (gWAT; p = 0.03), while its receptors in the liver and skeletal muscles remained unaffected. Irs2 expression was significantly lower in skeletal muscles (p = 0.01), but not in gWAT or Irs1 expression (in both tissues). Gene expressions of inflammatory markers in gWAT and the liver were also not affected. Conclusively, galactose in the post-weaning diet significantly improved circulating adiponectin concentrations and reduced skeletal muscle Irs2 expression in adulthood without alterations in fat mass, glucose tolerance, and inflammation.