University of Kentucky
Maternal Smoking and Offspring Risk for Developing Obesity
Institution
University of Kentucky
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Kevin J. Pearson
Abstract
Research demonstrates that maternal tobacco smoke exposure during fetal development increases the offspring's risk for developing obesity and type II diabetes in adulthood. Many pregnant women continue to smoke throughout pregnancy and nursing, and this project aimed to identify mechanisms that play a role in this increased risk of disease. We hypothesized that primary fibroblasts from offspring exposed to tobacco smoke in utero will have increased susceptibility to differentiate into adipocytes compared to cells from offspring born to nonsmokers. Human neonatal tissue was collected from babies born to smoking and nonsmoking mothers (n=9/group). Cells from babies born to smoking mothers displayed significantly increased levels of mRNA markers of adipocyte differentiation (fatty acid binding protein 4, forkhead box protein O1, and fatty acid transport protein 4) compared to cells collected from babies of non-smoking mothers (p < 0.05). Thus, we demonstrate for the first time in neonatal tissue that maternal smoke exposure increases adipocyte differentiation in primary fibroblasts of offspring.
Maternal Smoking and Offspring Risk for Developing Obesity
Research demonstrates that maternal tobacco smoke exposure during fetal development increases the offspring's risk for developing obesity and type II diabetes in adulthood. Many pregnant women continue to smoke throughout pregnancy and nursing, and this project aimed to identify mechanisms that play a role in this increased risk of disease. We hypothesized that primary fibroblasts from offspring exposed to tobacco smoke in utero will have increased susceptibility to differentiate into adipocytes compared to cells from offspring born to nonsmokers. Human neonatal tissue was collected from babies born to smoking and nonsmoking mothers (n=9/group). Cells from babies born to smoking mothers displayed significantly increased levels of mRNA markers of adipocyte differentiation (fatty acid binding protein 4, forkhead box protein O1, and fatty acid transport protein 4) compared to cells collected from babies of non-smoking mothers (p < 0.05). Thus, we demonstrate for the first time in neonatal tissue that maternal smoke exposure increases adipocyte differentiation in primary fibroblasts of offspring.