Stressful Experiences in Early Life and Subsequent Food Intake

Abstract. The impact of the environment early in life on long-term outcomes is well known. Stressful experiences during pre- and postnatal development can modulate the genetic programming of specific brain circuits underlying emotional and cognitive aspects of behavioral adaptation to stressful experiences later in life. Furthermore, there is documented evidence for gene-environment interactions in the context of early-life stress. Identical gene variants can be associated with different phenotypes depending on environmental factors. DNA methylation, an enzymatically-catalyzed modification of the DNA, is the mechanism through which phenotypes are regulated. The dynamics and plasticity of epigenetic mechanisms can have short-term, long-term, or transgenerational consequences. In epigenetic research, rodent models have targeted several behavioral and emotional phenotypes. These models have contributed significantly to our understanding of the environmental regulation of the developmental brain in early life. This review will highlight studies with rats and mice on epigenetic processes in fetal programming of stress-related mental disorders.

Download Full-text

Development of food intake controls: Neuroendocrine and environmental regulation of food intake during early life

Hormones and Behavior ◽

10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.04.004 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 66 (1) ◽

pp. 74-85 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Erica J. Crespi ◽

Margaret K. Unkefer

Keyword(s):

Food Intake ◽

Environmental Regulation ◽

Early Life

Download Full-text

Activation of innate immune signalling during development predisposes to inflammatory intestine and shortened lifespan

10.1101/2021.04.12.439419 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kyoko Yamashita ◽

Ayano Oi ◽

Hina Kosakamoto ◽

Toshitaka Yamauchi ◽

Hibiki Kadoguchi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Intake ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Immune Activation ◽

Early Life ◽

Fat Body ◽

Innate Immune ◽

Starvation Resistance ◽

Animal Development ◽

Age Related ◽

Immune Pathway

Early-life inflammatory response is associated with risks of age-related pathologies. How transient immune signalling activity during animal development influences life-long fitness is not well understood. Using Drosophila as a model, we find that activation of innate immune pathway IMD signalling in the developing larvae increases adult starvation resistance, decreases food intake, and shortens organismal lifespan. Interestingly, lifespan is shortened by the IMD activation in the larval gut and fat body, while starvation resistance and food intake are altered by that in neurons. The adult flies developed with IMD activation show sustained IMD activity in the gut, despite complete tissue renewal during metamorphosis. The inflammatory adult gut is associated with a greater amount of Gluconobacter sp., characteristic gut microbiota increased in response to immune activation. Removing gut microbiota by antibiotics attenuates the increase of IMD activity and rescues the shortened lifespan. This study demonstrates a tissue-specific programming effect of early-life immune activation on the adult physiology and organismal lifespan.

Download Full-text

Challenges involved in measuring intake in early life: focus on methods

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1017/s0029665114000020 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 73 (2) ◽

pp. 201-209 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Emma Foster ◽

Ashley Adamson

Keyword(s):

Food Intake ◽

Early Life ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Food Item ◽

Writing Skills ◽

Portion Size ◽

Food Knowledge ◽

Accurate Picture ◽

Computer Based ◽

Parental Reports

Assessing dietary intake in people of any age is challenging but measuring the diet of infants and children can be particularly problematic. Young children may lack the cognitive skills, writing skills and food knowledge to record their own food intake. Multiple people may be responsible for the care of the child and to collect an accurate picture of intake it may be necessary to combine parental reports with observation in school or nursery. Where interviews are conducted with the child themselves questions may need to focus on aspects of the diet which children are likely to attend to. For example, children may not be familiar with food names or brands but may be able to describe their texture, colour and images on packaging. Adolescents are likely to be more aware of the foods they consume and have the cognitive and writing skills to record their own food intake but may lack the interest or motivation. Research has focused on reducing the burden of recording intake on the participant. Developments include food photographs for assessment of portion size which remove the need for weighing each food item, and, in recent years, computer-based methods have been developed for self-completion by young people with the aim of motivating them to participate in studies by making dietary reporting more engaging. The present paper discusses methods and challenges in assessing food intake in children followed by details of two such tools developed at Newcastle University, UK, the Young Person's Food Atlas and INTAKE24.

Download Full-text

Food intake in early life and epigenetic modifications of pro-opiomelanocortin expression in arcuate nucleus

Molecular Biology Reports ◽

10.1007/s11033-021-06340-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sandra Aparecida Benite-Ribeiro ◽

Valkíria Alves de Lima Rodrigues ◽

Mônica Rodrigues Ferreira Machado

Keyword(s):

Food Intake ◽

Early Life ◽

Arcuate Nucleus ◽

Epigenetic Modifications

Download Full-text

Discovery of the indicator role of period 2 in yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) food intake during early life development stages

Chronobiology International ◽

10.1080/07420528.2020.1752706 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 37 (5) ◽

pp. 629-640

Author(s):

Di-an Fang ◽

Xue-Jun Yang ◽

Yan-Feng Zhou ◽

Dong-Po Xu ◽

You Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Intake ◽

Early Life ◽

Pelteobagrus Fulvidraco ◽

Yellow Catfish ◽

Development Stages ◽

Period 2

Download Full-text

Appetite-regulating hormone trajectories and relationships with fat mass development in term-born infants during the first 6 months of life

European Journal of Nutrition ◽

10.1007/s00394-021-02533-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kirsten S. de Fluiter ◽

Gerthe F. Kerkhof ◽

Inge A. L. P. van Beijsterveldt ◽

Laura M. Breij ◽

Leonie C. van Vark-van der Zee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Intake ◽

Human Milk ◽

Infant Feeding ◽

Fat Mass ◽

Early Life ◽

Peptide Yy ◽

Mass Percentage ◽

Critical Window ◽

Food Intake Regulation ◽

Intake Regulation

Abstract Background The first 6 months of life are a critical window for adiposity programming. Appetite-regulating hormones (ARH) are involved in food intake regulation and might, therefore, play a role in adiposity programming. Studies examining ARH in early life are limited. Purpose To investigate ghrelin, peptide YY (PYY) and leptin until 6 months and associations with fat mass percentage (FM%), infant feeding and human milk macronutrients. Procedures In 297 term-born infants (Sophia Pluto Cohort), ghrelin (acylated), PYY and leptin were determined at 3 and 6 months, with FM% measurement by PEAPOD. Exclusive breastfeeding (BF) was classified as BF ≥ 3 months. Human milk macronutrients were analyzed (MIRIS Human Milk Analyzer). Main findings Ghrelin increased from 3 to 6 months (p < 0.001), while PYY decreased (p < 0.001), resulting in increasing ghrelin/PYY ratio. Leptin decreased. Leptin at 3 months was higher in girls, other ARH were similar between sexes. Leptin at 3 and 6 months correlated with FM% at both ages(R ≥ 0.321, p ≤ 0.001) and gain in FM% from 1 to 6 months(R ≥ 0.204, p = 0.001). In BF infants, also ghrelin and ghrelin/PYY ratio correlated with this gain in FM%. Exclusively BF infants had lower ghrelin and higher PYY compared to formula fed infants at 3 months (p ≤ 0.039). ARH did not correlate with macronutrients. Conclusions Increasing ghrelin and decreasing PYY, thus increasing ghrelin/PYY ratio, suggests an increasing orexigenic drive until 6 months. ARH were different between BF and FF infants at 3 months, but did not correlate with human milk macronutrients. Ghrelin and leptin, but not PYY, correlated with more FM development during the first 6 months, suggesting that they might be involved in adiposity programming.

Download Full-text