Cited by 137Birth, Development, and HealthLiver Disease Diagnosis and TreatmentDiet, Metabolism, and Disease

Oxidative Stress and Altered Lipid Homeostasis in the Programming of Offspring Fatty Liver by Maternal Obesity

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Alfaradhi, Maria Z., Fernandez-Twinn, Denise S., Martin-Gronert, Malgorzata S., Musial, Barbara, Fowden, Abigail, Ozanne, Susan E.·2014·American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology

Abstract

Changes in the maternal nutritional environment during fetal development can influence offspring's metabolic risk in later life. Animal models have demonstrated that offspring of diet-induced obese dams develop metabolic complications, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. In this study we investigated the mechanisms in young offspring that lead to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Female offspring of C57BL/6J dams fed either a control or obesogenic diet were studied at 8 wk of age. We investigated the roles of oxidative stress and lipid metabolism in contributing to fatty liver in offspring. There were no differences in body weight or adiposity at 8 wk of age; however, offspring of obese dams were hyperinsulinemic. Oxidative damage markers were significantly increased in their livers, with reduced levels of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase-1. Mitochondrial complex I and II activities were elevated, while levels of mitochondrial cytochrome c were significantly reduced and glutamate dehydrogenase was significantly increased, suggesting mitochondrial dysfunction. Offspring of obese dams also had significantly greater hepatic lipid content, associated with increased levels of PPARγ and reduced triglyceride lipase. Liver glycogen and protein content were concomitantly reduced in offspring of obese dams. In conclusion, offspring of diet-induced obese dams have disrupted liver metabolism and develop NAFLD prior to any differences in body weight or body composition. Oxidative stress may play a mechanistic role in the progression of fatty liver in these offspring.

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Crossref · 10.1152/ajpregu.00049.2014

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  • The distribution of adipose tissue depends on sex and environmental factors, such as exposure to maternal obesity in utero, which can modify its programming as it does for all other tissues.

    “It is evident that the distribution of adipose tissue depends on sex and environmental factors, such as exposure to maternal obesity in utero, which can modify its programming as it does for all other tissues [80,81].”

    From Maternal Overnutrition and Fetal Programming: Long-Term Metabolic, Cognitive, and Epigenetic Consequences (2026) · cites this paper as [80]

    The Discussion says maternal obesity can program offspring metabolic tissues and suggests adipose-tissue insulin resistance. But the study assessed female offspring only, and the Results report no difference in overall adiposity at eight weeks; it does not establish sex-dependent adipose-tissue distribution or a change in that distribution after maternal obesity. No page numbers are available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • In a mouse model, maternal obesity led to profound changes in offspring liver histology and physiology, including increased hepatic lipid content, decreased HDL cholesterol, increased fasting insulin, TNF-α, DNA oxidative damage markers, and hepatic protein oxidation.

    “The results of this study highlight how maternal obesity led to profound changes in the offspring’s liver histology and physiology; histological analysis shows an increase in hepatic lipid content compared to control subjects. Plasma analysis showed a decrease in HDL cholesterol, an increase in fasting insulin, TNF-α and DNA oxidative damage markers and hepatic protein oxidation.”

    From Maternal Overnutrition and Fetal Programming: Long-Term Metabolic, Cognitive, and Epigenetic Consequences (2026) · cites this paper as [80]

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  • Maternal obesity in mice led to variations in protein expression involved in oxidative stress homeostasis, including reduced NADPH oxidase and glutathione peroxidase, increased catalase, decreased lipogenesis and lipolysis proteins, and increased PPARγ.

    “Also, variations in protein expression involved in oxidative stress homeostasis were found, including reduced expression of NADPH oxidase and glutathione peroxidase, an increase in catalase and a decrease in protein levels involved in lipogenesis and lipolysis; in particular, an increase in PPARγ expression was discovered.”

    From Maternal Overnutrition and Fetal Programming: Long-Term Metabolic, Cognitive, and Epigenetic Consequences (2026) · cites this paper as [80]

    Split into 2 atoms — 1 confirmed, 1 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

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  • Maternal obesity in mice led to mitochondrial damage with increased activity of complexes I and II and a significant reduction in cytochrome C expression.

    “Regarding mitochondrial damage, there was an increase in the activity of complexes I and II and a significant reduction in cytochrome C expression [80,81].”
  • Maternal obesity induced hepatic steatosis in the offspring.

    “a number of studies showed that maternal obesity induced greater adiposity and obesity [95,96,97,98] as well as hepatic steatosis [95,96,99] in the offspring.”

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Authors
Alfaradhi, M. Z., Fernandez-Twinn, D. S., Martin-Gronert, M. S., Musial, B., Fowden, A., & Ozanne, S. E.
Affiliations
  • University of Cambridge (GB)
  • University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom; and
  • Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Corresponding author
Alfaradhi, Maria Z.
Venue
American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology
Published
2014-07-01
Volume
307
Issue
1
Pages
R26-R34
ISSN
  • 0363-6119 (ISSN-L)
  • 1522-1490
OpenAlex
W2128764301
Cited by
136
References
42
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 3
FWCI
13.80
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • British Heart Foundation (FS/09/029/27902)
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/F015364/1)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diet, Metabolism, and Disease
Keywords
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, maternal obesity, developmental programming, oxidative stress, lipid homeostasis, hyperinsulinemia, glutathione peroxidase 1, mitochondrial dysfunction, PPARγ, hepatic lipase, liver glycogen, obesogenic diet
MeSH terms
Glutathione Peroxidase GPX1, Age Factors, Animals, Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Body Weight, Fatty Liver, Female, Glutamate Dehydrogenase, Glutathione Peroxidase, Glycogen, Homeostasis, Insulin, Lipase, Liver, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Obesity, Phenotype, Pregnancy, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Risk Factors, Signal Transduction, Oxidative Stress, Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Electron Transport Complex II, Electron Transport Complex I, Cytochromes c, PPAR gamma, Adiposity, Lipid Metabolism, Mice, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

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