Dietary Patterns in Pregnancy and Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Mothers and Offspring: The NELA Birth Cohort

Eva Morales; Azahara M García-Serna; Elvira Larqué; María Sánchez-Campillo; Ana Serrano-Munera; Carmen Martinez-Graciá; Marina Santaella-Pascual; Clara Suárez-Martínez; Jesús Vioque; José A Noguera-Velasco; Francisco V Avilés-Plaza; Miriam Martínez-Villanueva; Carmen Ballesteros-Meseguer; Lina Galdo-Castiñeira; Luis García-Marcos

doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.869357

Dietary Patterns in Pregnancy and Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Mothers and Offspring: The NELA Birth Cohort

Front Nutr. 2022 Apr 12:9:869357. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.869357. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Eva Morales^{1

2}, Azahara M García-Serna^{1

3}, Elvira Larqué^{1

4}, María Sánchez-Campillo⁴, Ana Serrano-Munera¹, Carmen Martinez-Graciá^{1

5}, Marina Santaella-Pascual^{1

5}, Clara Suárez-Martínez^{1

5}, Jesús Vioque^{6

7}, José A Noguera-Velasco^{1

8}, Francisco V Avilés-Plaza^{1

8}, Miriam Martínez-Villanueva^{1

8}, Carmen Ballesteros-Meseguer⁹, Lina Galdo-Castiñeira⁹, Luis García-Marcos^{1

10

11}

Affiliations

¹ Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain.
² Department of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
³ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology B and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
⁴ Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
⁵ Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
⁶ Health and Biomedical Research Institute of Alicante, University Miguel Hernandez (ISABIAL-UMH), Alicante, Spain.
⁷ Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
⁸ Molecular Therapy and Biomarkers Research Group, Clinical Analysis Service, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Clinical Hospital, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
⁹ Obstetrics & Gynecology Service, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Clinical Hospital, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
¹⁰ Paediatric Allergy and Pulmonology Units, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Children's Hospital, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
¹¹ ARADyAL Allergy Network, Madrid, Spain.

Abstract

Background: Although adherence to the Mediterranean and antioxidant-rich diets during pregnancy is suggested to improve maternal-fetal health by reducing oxidative stress, yet there is no study available.

Objective: We examined whether maternal dietary patterns in pregnancy impact the biomarkers of oxidative stress in mothers and their offspring.

Methods: Study population included 642 mothers and 335 newborns of the "Nutrition in Early Life and Asthma" (NELA) birth cohort. Maternal diet during pregnancy was assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire and a priori-defined dietary indices (relative Mediterranean Diet [rMED], alternative Mediterranean Diet [aMED], Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension [DASH], Alternate Healthy Index [AHEI], and AHEI-2010) were calculated. Biomarkers measured were: hydroperoxides, carbonyl groups, and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8OHdG) determined in maternal blood and newborn cord blood, and urinary maternal and offspring 15-F2t-isoprostane. Multivariate linear regression models were performed.

Results: Maternal rMED score was inversely associated with the maternal levels of 8OHdG at mid-pregnancy (beta per 1-point increase = -1.61; 95% CI -2.82, -0.39) and the newborn levels of hydroperoxides (beta per 1-point increase = -4.54; 95% CI -9.32, 0.25). High vs. low maternal rMED score was marginally associated with the decreased levels of 8OHdG in newborns (beta = -9.17; 95% CI -19.9, 1.63; p for trend 0.079). Maternal DASH score tended to be inversely associated with maternal urinary 15-F2t-isoprostane (beta per 1-point increase = -0.69; 95% CI, -1.44, 0.06). High vs. low maternal AHEI score was associated with reduced offspring urinary levels of 15-F2t-isoprostane (beta = -20.2; 95% CI -38.0, -2.46; p for trend 0.026).

Conclusion: These results suggest that maternal adherence to healthy dietary patterns during pregnancy may reduce DNA damage and lipid oxidation in mothers and offspring.

Keywords: DASH; birth cohort; dietary indices; oxidative stress; pregnancy; rMED.

Copyright © 2022 Morales, García-Serna, Larqué, Sánchez-Campillo, Serrano-Munera, Martinez-Graciá, Santaella-Pascual, Suárez-Martínez, Vioque, Noguera-Velasco, Avilés-Plaza, Martínez-Villanueva, Ballesteros-Meseguer, Galdo-Castiñeira and García-Marcos.