American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 201, Issue 3 , Pages 281.e1-281.e9, September 2009

A maternal high-fat diet is accompanied by alterations in the fetal primate metabolome

Presented at the 29th Annual Meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, San Diego, CA, Jan. 26-31, 2009.

  • James Cox, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Metabolomics Core Research Facility, University of Utah Health Sciences, Salt Lake City, UT
    • ,
  • Sarah Williams, MSc

      Affiliations

    • Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR
    • ,
  • Kevin Grove, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR
    • ,
  • Robert H. Lane, MD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah Health Sciences, Salt Lake City, UT
    • ,
  • Kjersti M. Aagaard-Tillery, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah Health Sciences, Salt Lake City, UT
    • Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Received 21 February 2009; received in revised form 22 April 2009; accepted 16 June 2009.

Objective

To characterize the serum metabolome of a primate model of in utero high-fat exposure.

Study Design

Serum from maternal and fetal (e130) macaque monkeys exposed to either a high-fat or control diet were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Multivariate data analysis was performed to reduce the generated data set. Candidate metabolites were further analyzed for significance by using the analysis of variance and comparative t tests.

Results

Approximately 1300 chromatographic features were detected. Through multivariate data analysis this number was reduced to 60 possible metabolites. With the use of comparative t tests, 22 metabolites had statistical significance (P < .05) over the entire study. By virtue of maternal high-fat diet alone, fetal phenotypic differences are accompanied by altered metabolite concentrations of 7 metabolites (P < .05).

Conclusion

In utero high-fat diet exposure is associated with an altered fetal epigenome and parlays a characteristic modification in the fetal metabolite profile.

Key words: epigenetics, fetal programming, metabolomics, nutrition, obesity, pregnancy

 

 Reprints not available from the authors.

 Support for this work was provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director New Innovator Pioneer Award DP21DP2OD001500-01 (K.A.T.), and NIH Grants 1R01DK080558 (R.H.L. and K.A.T.), DK60685-0351 (K.L.G.), 1R01DK079194 (K.L.G.), and RR00163 (K.L.G.-ONPRC).

 Cite this article as: Cox J, Williams S, Grove K, et al. A maternal high-fat diet is accompanied by alterations in the fetal primate metabolome. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2009;201:281.e1-9.

PII: S0002-9378(09)00685-1

doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2009.06.041

American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 201, Issue 3 , Pages 281.e1-281.e9, September 2009