Evolution of differential maternal age effects on male and female offspring development and longevity

Maternal diet is critical for offspring development and long-term health. Here we investigated the effects of a poor maternal diet pre-conception and during pregnancy on metabolic outcomes and the developing hypothalamus in male and female offspring at birth. We hypothesised that offspring born to dams fed a diet high in fat and sugar (HFSD) peri-pregnancy will have disrupted metabolic outcomes. We also determined if these HFSD-related effects could be reversed by a shift to a healthier diet post-conception, in particular to a diet high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3 PUFAs), since ω3 PUFAs are considered essential for normal neurodevelopment. Unexpectedly, our data show that there are minimal negative effects of maternal HFSD on newborn pups. On the other hand, consumption of an ω3-replete diet during pregnancy altered several developmental parameters. As such, pups born to high-ω3-fed dams weighed less for their length, had reduced circulating leptin, and also displayed sex-specific disruption in the expression of hypothalamic neuropeptides. Collectively, our study shows that maternal intake of a diet rich in ω3 PUFAs during pregnancy may be detrimental for some metabolic developmental outcomes in the offspring. These data indicate the importance of a balanced dietary intake in pregnancy and highlight the need for further research into the impact of maternal ω3 intake on offspring development and long-term health.

Download Full-text

Aging Endocrine and Metabolic Phenotypes Are Programmed by Mother’s Age at Conception in a Sex-Dependent Fashion in the Rat

The Journals of Gerontology Series A ◽

10.1093/gerona/glaa067 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 75 (12) ◽

pp. 2304-2307

Author(s):

Elena Zambrano ◽

Luis A Reyes-Castro ◽

Guadalupe L Rodríguez-González ◽

Roberto Chavira ◽

Peter W Nathanielsz

Keyword(s):

Maternal Age ◽

Maternal Nutrition ◽

Female Offspring ◽

Male Offspring ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Model Assessment ◽

Male And Female ◽

Fat Depots ◽

Life Course Health ◽

Homeostatic Model Assessment

Abstract Programming of offspring life-course health by maternal nutrition and stress are well studied. At postnatal day 850, we evaluated male and female steroid levels and metabolism in aged offspring of primigravid sister rats bred at 70, 90, 150, or 300 days’ life. At 850 days life, male offspring corticosterone was similar regardless of maternal age. Female corticosterone was highest in offspring of 70- and 300-day mothers. Serum dehydroepiandrosterone:corticosterone was lowest in both sexes of offspring of 70- and 300-day mothers. Male and female fat depots were smaller in offspring of 150- than 70- and 90-day mothers. Insulin, glucose, and homeostatic model assessment were similar in all male offspring but higher in female offspring of 70-day mothers than other ages. We conclude, maternal age affects offspring aging in an offspring sex-dependent manner and merits consideration in designing and interpreting programming studies.

Download Full-text

Parental breeding age effects on descendants’ longevity interact over two generations in matrilines and patrilines

10.32942/osf.io/mnx8h ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Zac Wylde ◽

Foteini Spagopoulou ◽

Amy K Hooper ◽

Alexei A Maklakov ◽

Russell Bonduriansky

Keyword(s):

Maternal Age ◽

First Generation ◽

Age Effects ◽

Population Variation ◽

Paternal Age ◽

Interactive Effects ◽

Competitive Environment ◽

Larval Diet ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Two Generations

Individuals within populations vary enormously in mortality risk and longevity, but the causes of this variation remain poorly understood. A potentially important and phylogenetically widespread source of such variation is maternal age at breeding, which typically has negative effects on offspring longevity. Here, we show that paternal age can affect offspring longevity as strongly as maternal age does, and that breeding age effects can interact over two generations in both matrilines and patrilines. We manipulated maternal and paternal ages at breeding over two generations in the neriid fly Telostylinus angusticollis. To determine whether breeding age effects can be modulated by the environment, we also manipulated larval diet and male competitive environment in the first generation. We found separate and interactive effects of parental and grandparental ages at breeding on descendants’ mortality rate and lifespan in both matrilines and patrilines. These breeding age effects were not modulated by grandparental larval diet quality or competitive environment. Our findings suggest that variation in maternal and paternal ages at breeding could contribute substantially to intra-population variation in mortality and longevity.

Download Full-text

Placental treatment improves cardiac tolerance to ischemia/reperfusion insult in adult male and female offspring exposed to prenatal hypoxia

Pharmacological Research ◽

10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105461 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 165 ◽

pp. 105461

Author(s):

Nataliia Hula ◽

Floor Spaans ◽

Jennie Vu ◽

Anita Quon ◽

Raven Kirschenman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adult Male ◽

Ischemia Reperfusion ◽

Female Offspring ◽

Prenatal Hypoxia ◽

Male And Female

Download Full-text

Perinatal SSRIs, maternal stress, and their effects on social behaviors in male and female offspring

Toxicology Letters ◽

10.1016/j.toxlet.2017.07.185 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 280 ◽

pp. S72

Author(s):

Jodi Pawluski

Keyword(s):

Maternal Stress ◽

Social Behaviors ◽

Female Offspring ◽

Male And Female

Download Full-text

PRE-MATERNAL ISOLATION EFFECTS ON BEHAVIOUR AND ENDOCRINE FUNCTION OF OFFSPRING

Acta Endocrinologica ◽

10.1530/acta.0.0620367 ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 62 (2) ◽

pp. 367-384 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

A. M. Sackler ◽

A. S. Weltman ◽

R. Schwartz ◽

P. Steinglass

Keyword(s):

Locomotor Activity ◽

Growth Rates ◽

Female Offspring ◽

The Body ◽

Endocrine Function ◽

Male And Female ◽

Isolation Stress ◽

Developmental Growth ◽

Body Weights ◽

And Control

ABSTRACT This report was designed to determine combined effects of maternal endocrine imbalances and abnormal behaviour due to prolonged isolation stress of female mice on the behaviour, developmental growth rate and endocrine function of their offspring. Sixty female albino mice averaging 19 g were divided equally into isolated and control groups. The isolated females were housed singly; control females were maintained in groups of 2 mice per cage. After observation of behavioural and physiological effects characteristic of isolation stress in the test mice, all isolated and control mice were mated after a 6½ month experimental, isolation period. No differences were observed in fertility and fecundity of the two groups of mothers. Analyses of developmental growth rates of the litters of the isolated versus control mothers showed significantly lower body weights in the test offspring at 3 and 4 weeks of age. The body weights of the female offspring remained significantly lower from the 4th to 11th weeks. The effects on the body weights of the male offspring declined and were no longer statistically significant at the 5th to 11 weeks. Locomotor activity at 4½ and 8 weeks of age was markedly or significantly higher in the male and female mice from isolated mothers. Tail-blood samples taken prior to autopsy at 5 and 11 weeks of age revealed significant decreases in the total leukocyte and eosinophil counts of both sexes. At the two ages, the absolute and relative spleen and thymus weights of the male and female offspring were markedly and/or significantly lower than the values observed in counterpart young from control females. Significant decreases were also observed in the absolute gonadal organ weights of both sexes at 11 weeks of age. The various data indicated inhibited growth rates, heightened locomotor activity and evasiveness, as well as evidence of increased adrenocortical function in the offspring from test mothers. The gonadal weight decreases suggested retarded gonadal development. Further studies using split-litter techniques are required to differentiate the effects of prenatal endocrine imbalances versus postnatal maternal influence (i. e., nursing care) on the offspring.

Download Full-text