Association of Maternal Diet during Pregnancy and Metabolite Profile in Cord Blood

Biomolecules. 2022 Sep 21;12(10):1333. doi: 10.3390/biom12101333.

Abstract

Cord blood metabolites can be predictive of long-term disease risk, but how levels of different metabolites might vary with respect to maternal diet is not well understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of different dietary patterns during pregnancy with cord blood metabolites (including glycerophospholipid fatty acids, polar lipids, non-esterified fatty acids, amino acids, and the sum of hexoses). Participants from the German LISA birth cohort study, with available data on targeted cord blood metabolomics and maternal diet, were included (n = 739). Maternal diet during the last 4 weeks of pregnancy was assessed by a non-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Using factor analysis, ten dietary patterns were identified, which were used in linear regression models exploring associations with cord blood metabolites. After correction for multiple hypothesis testing and adjustment for basic covariates, "fish and shellfish" was associated with higher glycerophospholipid fatty acid C20:5 n3 and lower C22:5 n6, whereas the "meat and potato" pattern was directly associated with propionylcarnitine (C3:0). The observed associations highlight potential metabolic pathways involved in the early programming of health and disease through maternal diet, as well as the potential for establishing quantitative biomarkers for dietary patterns of pregnant women.

Keywords: cord blood; dietary patterns; early programming; epidemiology; maternal diet; pregnancy; targeted metabolomics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Cohort Studies
  • Diet*
  • Fatty Acids / metabolism
  • Female
  • Fetal Blood* / chemistry
  • Glycerophospholipids / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Pregnancy

Substances

  • Fatty Acids
  • Biomarkers
  • Glycerophospholipids
  • Amino Acids

Grants and funding

The LISA study was mainly supported by grants from the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology and in addition from Helmholtz Zentrum Munich (former GSF), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Research Institute at Marien-Hospital Wesel, Pediatric Practice, Bad Honnef for the first 2 years. The 4 year, 6 year, 10 year and 15 year follow-up examinations of the LISA study were covered from the respective budgets of the involved partners (Helmholtz Zentrum Munich (former GSF), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Research Institute at Marien-Hospital Wesel, Pediatric Practice, Bad Honnef, IUF—Leibniz-Research Institute for Environmental Medicine at the University of Düsseldorf) and in addition by a grant from the Federal Ministry for Environment (IUF Düsseldorf, FKZ 20462296). Further, the 15-year follow-up examination of the LISA study was supported by the Commission of the European Communities, the 7th Framework Program: MeDALL project. The metabolomics analyses were financially supported in part by the Commission of the European Communities 7th Framework Programme, contract FP7–289346-EARLY NUTRITION, the European Research Council Advanced Grant ERC-2012-AdG—No. 322605 META-GROWTH and German Research Council/Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (INST 409/224-1 FUGG). BK is the Else Kröner Seniorprofessor of Paediatrics at LMU—University of Munich, financially supported by Else Kröner-Fresenius-Foundation, LMU Medical Faculty and LMU University Hospitals. This paper does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission and in no way anticipates the future policy in this area. The APC was funded by MDPI Biomolecules (invitation to contribute a featured paper).