A post-weaning obesogenic diet exacerbates the detrimental effects of maternal obesity on offspring insulin signaling in adipose tissue

Sci Rep. 2017 Mar 24:7:44949. doi: 10.1038/srep44949.

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that maternal diet-induced obesity leads to increased risk of type 2 diabetes in offspring. The current study investigated if weaning onto an obesogenic diet exaggerated the detrimental effects of maternal diet-induced obesity in adipose tissue. Maternal obesity and offspring obesity led to reduced expression of key insulin signalling proteins, including insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1). The effects of maternal obesity and offspring obesity were, generally, independent and additive. Irs1 mRNA levels were similar between all four groups of offspring, suggesting that in both cases post-transcriptional regulation was involved. Maternal diet-induced obesity increased miR-126 expression however levels of this miR were not influenced by a post-weaning obesogenic diet. In contrast, a post-weaning obesogenic diet was associated with increased levels of suppressor of cytokine signaling-1, implicating increased degradation of IRS-1 as an underlying mechanism. Our results suggest that whilst programmed reductions in IRS-1 are associated with increased levels of miR-126 and consequently reduced translation of Irs1 mRNA, the effects of a post-weaning obesogenic diet on IRS-1 are mediated by miR-126 independent mechanisms, including increased IRS-1 protein degradation. These divergent mechanisms explain why the combination of maternal obesity and offspring obesity leads to the most pronounced effects on offspring metabolism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipocytes / cytology
  • Adipocytes / metabolism
  • Adipose Tissue / cytology
  • Adipose Tissue / metabolism*
  • Cell Size
  • Diet, High-Fat
  • Female
  • Gene Expression
  • Humans
  • Insulin / metabolism*
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • Obesity / etiology*
  • Obesity / metabolism*
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects*
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 Protein / genetics
  • Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 Protein / metabolism
  • Weaning

Substances

  • Insulin
  • MIRN126 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 Protein