Researchers at the University of Guanajuato (UGTO) studied in human placentas two hormones that are involved in the regulation of fetal growth: ghrelin, which plays a very important role in underweight babies; and leptin, which is involved with newborns larger size.
The Head Researcher Dr. Gloria Barbosa Sabanero, from the Department of Medical Sciences at Health Sciences Division of UGTO, Campus León, said that the purpose of the study is to understand the molecular changes that can lead to developing heart disease, obesity and diabetes in adult life. These changes are also associated with the weight of babies at birth.
In this regard, Barbosa noted: “If a baby has abnormal weight, in adulthood will tend to develop obesity, diabetes or cardiovascular disease; while a normal weight baby has much less risk; [thus,] it is required knowing the fetal molecular changes that can induce this.”
The research studies the methylation of genes; which are chemical signals that are added to the genetic material without altering its sequence. These signals modify the activity of genes and are thought to play a role in an individual’s predisposing to developing diseases in adulthood.
Dr. Barbosa explained the conclusions reached in the research: “We have evidence that baby’s growth and weight are related to the size of the placenta; because this is a bridge of communication between the fetus and the mother, it has a very important role in the growth and development of the baby. Besides, this is where lots of proteins are produced, such as leptin and ghrelin”
The study, which was conducted over a period of two years, reports that low and high weight children show differences in relation with those with normal weight. Such variations are not only in the amount of leptin and ghrelin found; but also, there is a difference in the number of placental leptin receptors. This is an indication that there are different growth instructions depending on each case.
It has been observed in animal studies that mothers who have a diet rich in fats have small babies or with low weight and with less amount of leptin. In addition, it is being reported that animals consuming large amounts fat, results in chemical changes (such as methylation) that can alter gene activity.
While this knowledge has resulted from animal research, Dr. Barbosa concluded that her research proposes to show whether this happens in humans. In other words, seeks to prove if chemical signals on DNA may be related to fetal growth in humans. This is relevant, as this would allow detecting, from the placenta, the risk of developing chronic diseases in adult life, such as hypertension, obesity or diabetes.
Via: ID Agency; Mexican Journal of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition.
