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The Influence of Maternal Obesity and Breastfeeding on Infant Appetite- and Growth-Related Hormone Concentrations: The SKOT Cohort Studies.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Exposure to obesity during pregnancy may lead to adverse changes in the offspring's metabolic profile. We compared appetite- and growth-related hormones in a cohort of infants born to obese mothers (SKOT-II) with infants born mainly to nonobese mothers (SKOT-I). METHODS: Infants from SKOT-I (n = 273) and SKOT-II (n = 132) were examined including anthropometric measurements and blood samples analyzed for glucose, insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), adiponectin, and leptin. Information on breastfeeding and parental characteristics were also collected. RESULTS: At 9 months of age, SKOT-II infants were 3.6% heavier and 1.2% longer than SKOT-I infants even though their mothers were shorter. There was no difference in body mass index (BMI). SKOT-II infants had higher levels of insulin, adiponectin, and leptin but lower levels of IGF-I compared to SKOT-I infants (all p ≤ 0.015). These differences remained, except for leptin, when adjusted for current weight. Breastfeeding versus nonbreastfeeding at 9 months was associated with lower concentrations of all hormones (all p ≤ 0.003). In adjusted models, maternal BMI at 9 months was positively associated with insulin and adiponectin and negatively with IGF-I. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-pregnancy obesity confers symmetrically larger infant body size and higher levels of most growth- and appetite-related hormones but surprisingly lower levels of IGF-I, suggesting other possible infant growth-promoting effects through insulin

NMR-based metabolomic profiling of overweight adolescents:an elucidation of the effects of inter-/intraindividual differences, gender, and pubertal development

The plasma and urine metabolome of 192 overweight 12–15-year-old adolescents (BMI of 25.4 ± 2.3 kg/m2) were examined in order to elucidate gender, pubertal development measured as Tanner stage, physical activity measured as number of steps taken daily, and intra-/interindividual differences affecting the metabolome detected by proton NMR spectroscopy. Higher urinary excretion of citrate, creatinine, hippurate, and phenylacetylglutamine and higher plasma level of phosphatidylcholine and unsaturated lipid were found for girls compared with boys. The results suggest that gender differences in the metabolome are being commenced already in childhood. The relationship between Tanner stage and the metabolome showed that pubertal development stage was positively related to urinary creatinine excretion and negatively related to urinary citrate content. No relations between physical activity and the metabolome could be identified. The present study for the first time provides comprehensive information about associations between the metabolome and gender, pubertal development, and physical activity in overweight adolescents, which is an important subject group to approach in the prevention of obesity and life-style related diseases. While this study is preliminary, these results may have the potential to translate into clinical applicability upon further investigations; if biomarkers for Tanner stage can be established, these might be used for identification of individuals susceptible to an early pubertal development

Faecalibacterium Gut Colonization Is Accelerated by Presence of Older Siblings

ABSTRACT Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is a highly abundant human gut microbe in healthy individuals, but it is present at reduced levels in individuals with gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases. It has therefore been suggested to constitute a marker of a healthy gut and is associated with anti-inflammatory properties. However, factors affecting the colonization of F. prausnitzii in the human gut during early life are very poorly understood. By analysis of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data from three separate infant study populations, we determined the colonization dynamics of Faecalibacterium and factors affecting its establishment in the gut. We found that in particular, the presence of older siblings was consistently associated with Faecalibacterium gut colonization during late infancy and conclude that acquisition of Faecalibacterium is very likely to be accelerated through transfer between siblings. IMPORTANCE Faecalibacterium prausnitzii has been suggested to constitute a key marker of a healthy gut, yet the factors shaping the colonization of this highly oxygen-sensitive, non-spore-forming species in the intestinal environment remain poorly understood. Here, we provide evidence from three separate infant study populations that F. prausnitzii colonization in the gut happens during late infancy and is affected by the number of older siblings in the family. We conclude that Faecalibacterium acquisition is highly likely to be accelerated by contact between siblings. Bearing in mind the immunoregulatory properties of F. prausnitzii and the well-established protective effects against allergic disorders related to the presence of older siblings, early colonization of this species may have profound consequences for child health

The role of leptin and other hormones related to bone metabolism and appetite regulation as determinants of gain in body fat and fat-free mass in 8-11-year-old children.

BACKGROUND: Regulation of body composition during childhood is complex. Numerous hormones are potentially involved. Leptin has been proposed to restrain weight gain, but results are inconsistent. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether baseline fasting levels of ghrelin, adiponectin, leptin, insulin, IGF-I, osteocalcin, and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were associated with body composition cross sectionally and longitudinally in 633 8-11-year-olds. DESIGN: Data on hormones and body composition by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry from the OPUS School Meal Study were used. We looked at baseline hormones as predictors of baseline fat mass index (FMI) or fat-free mass index (FFMI), and also subsequent changes (3 and 6 months) in FMI or FFMI using models with hormones individually or combined. RESULTS: Cross-sectionally, baseline leptin was positively associated with FMI in girls (0.211 kg/m(2) pr. μg/mL; 97.5% confidence interval [CI],0.186-0.236; P < .001) and boys (0.231 kg/m(2) pr. μg/mL; 97.5% CI, 0.200-0.261; P < .001). IGF-I in both sexes and iPTH in boys were positively associated with FMI. An inverse association between adiponectin and FFMI in boys and a positive association between IGF-I and FFMI were found in girls. In longitudinal models, baseline leptin was inversely associated with subsequent changes in FMI (-0.018 kg/m(2) pr. μg/mL; 97.5% CI, -0.034 - -0.002; P = .028) and FFMI (-0.014 kg/m(2) pr. μg/mL; 97.5% CI, -0.024 - -0.003; P = .006) in girls. CONCLUSIONS: Cross-sectional findings support that leptin is produced in proportion to body fat mass, but the longitudinal observations support that leptin inhibits gains in FMI and FFMI in girls, a finding that may reflect preserved leptin sensitivity in this predominantly normal weight population.Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Stine-Mathilde Dalskov, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. E-mail: [email protected]. This study was registered inClinicalTrials.gov as trial number NCT01457794. The OPUS study was financed by a Grant from the Nordea Foundation (grant number 02-2010-478 0389). A complete list of food suppliers providing full or partial food sponsorships to the study can be found at the website: http://foodoflife.ku.dk/ opus/wp/skolemadsprojektet/leverandorer. Sources of funding and donation had no role in the trial design; collection, analysis, interpretation of data or decision to publish.This is the accepted manuscript for a paper published in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, March 2015, 100(3):1196 –1205, DOI: 10.1210/jc.2014-370

Excessive weight gain followed by catch-down in exclusively breastfed infants: An exploratory study

Some infants experience excessive weight gain (EWG) during exclusive breastfeeding, but causes and consequences are unknown. The objective was to identify factors associated with early EWG. Infants with EWG (HW-group) were examined at 5, 9 and 18 mo and compared to a breastfed group with normal weight gain (NW-group). Anthropometry, body composition, milk and blood samples, and milk intake were measured. Mean body-mass-index-for-age z-scores (BAZ) increased 1.93 from birth to 5 mo in the HW-group (n = 13) while the NW-group (n = 17) was unchanged (−0.01). The HW-group had 70% more fat mass at 5 mo, and then showed marked catch-down in BAZ from 5 to 18 mo (−0.84). Milk intake at 5–6 mo did not differ between the groups. In the HW-group milk-leptin was lower at 5 mo and serum-leptin was considerably higher at 5 and 9 mo compared to the NW-group. Serum-leptin at 5 mo was positively associated with weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) and fat mass and negatively with WAZ change from 5 to 9 mo. In conclusion, breastfed infants with EWG had catch-down growth when other foods were introduced. Low milk-leptin in the HW-group may have stimulated appetite and milk intake when weight gain was high. High serum-leptin in the HW-group suggests early leptin resistance, which could impact cerebral regulation of energy intake. Larger studies are needed to confirm these results