Maternal Health & Diet Programs Offspring Metabolism
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Date
2024-08-07
Authors
Greyslak, Keenan
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Although adult sedentary behavior and poor dietary patterns can impact metabolic health and disease outcomes, studies in animal models and human populations have generated a convincing body of evidence to suggest that nutritional and hormonal insults during critical windows of development in early life can redirect future metabolic health outcomes in offspring independent of future lifestyle choices. Specifically, maternal phenotypes derived from chronic consumption of high-fat, high-sugar, low fiber “Western-Style” diets (WD), the presence of obesity, and/or the presence of maternal hyperandrogenemia (HA) during pregnancy place them and their unborn child at higher risk for developing chronic metabolic diseases like Cardiovascular Disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.To better understand the mechanisms that lay the groundwork for metabolic dysfunction in offspring tissues beginning in utero, this dissertation has utilized a nonhuman primate model of chronic maternal WD consumption with and without the development of obesity on the metabolic health outcomes in juvenile and adolescent offspring. The added contributions introduced by postweaning diet style was also examined in these offspring. Finally, this thesis builds upon previous work tracking the reproductive and metabolic profiles associated with WD-induced obesity with and without HA in young female primates beginning in prepubescent juveniles and extending into adulthood. Finally, the independent and combined influence of HA with/without obesity during pregnancy on key aspects of fetal metabolism was also assessed.