AI Article Synopsis

  • The obesity epidemic is worsening, often linked to a lack of exercise and overeating, but new research indicates that a lack of maternal exercise plays a significant role.
  • In a study with pregnant mice, those that exercised showed better development in fetal brown adipose tissue (BAT) and reduced obesity in their offspring when exposed to a high-energy diet.
  • Maternal exercise led to increased levels of a substance called apelin, which helped improve metabolic health and BAT development in the offspring, highlighting the importance of physical activity during pregnancy in combating obesity.

Article Abstract

The obesity rate is rapidly increasing, which has been attributed to lack of exercise and excessive energy intake. Here, we found a previously unidentified explanation, due to lack of maternal exercise. In this study, healthy maternal mice were assigned either to a sedentary lifestyle or to exercise daily, and fetal brown adipose tissue (BAT) development and offspring metabolic health were analyzed. Compared to the sedentary group, maternal exercise enhanced DNA demethylation of promoter and BAT development and prevented obesity of offspring when challenged with a high-energy diet. Apelin, an exerkine, was elevated in both maternal and fetal circulations due to exercise, and maternal administration of apelin mimicked the beneficial effects of exercise on fetal BAT development and offspring metabolic health. Together, maternal exercise enhances thermogenesis and the metabolic health of offspring mice, suggesting that the sedentary lifestyle during pregnancy contributes to the obesity epidemic in modern societies.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7164955PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaz0359DOI Listing

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