Maternal and paternal obesity are associated with offspring obestatin levels in the Nutritionists' Health Study

Renata Germano Borges de Oliveira Nascimento Freitas; Ana Carolina Junqueira Vasques; Francieli Barreiro Ribeiro; Isabela Solar; Alfredo Shigueo Hanada; Marina Gomes Barbosa; Angélica Marques Martins Valente; Bianca de Almeida Pititto; Tito Lívio da Cunha Lopes; Bruno Geloneze; Sandra Roberta G Ferreira

doi:10.1016/j.nut.2020.111067

Maternal and paternal obesity are associated with offspring obestatin levels in the Nutritionists' Health Study

Nutrition. 2021 Mar:83:111067. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2020.111067. Epub 2020 Nov 19.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, Brazil; Laboratory of Investigation in Metabolism and Diabetes, Gastrocentro, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Brazil.
² Laboratory of Investigation in Metabolism and Diabetes, Gastrocentro, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Brazil; School of Applied Sciences, University of Campinas, Brazil.
³ School of Applied Sciences, University of Campinas, Brazil.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
⁵ Department of Preventive Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁶ Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Brazil.
⁷ Laboratory of Investigation in Metabolism and Diabetes, Gastrocentro, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Brazil; Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, University of Campinas, Brazil.
⁸ Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: sandrafv@usp.br.

PMID: 33348107
DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2020.111067

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine whether paternal and maternal body mass indexes (BMIs) were independently associated with obestatin and visfatin levels in adult offspring.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis included 124 women who participated in the Nutritionists' Health Study (NutriHS) at baseline. Early life events, anthropometry, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry-determined body composition and blood sample were obtained. Associations of parental BMI with outcomes (obestatin and visfatin) were tested by multiple linear regression, using minimal sufficient adjustments recommended by Directed Acyclic Graph. Participants' mean BMI was 25 ± 5 kg/m² and 74% were metabolically healthy. Median obestatin and visfatin levels were 56.4 pg/mL (42-72) and 17.7 ng/mL (14-21.8), respectively. Eleven percent of mothers and 39% of fathers were overweight/obese.

Results: Daughters born from overweight/obese mothers had higher BMI than those born from normal weight women (P = 0.003). In adjusted regression model, offspring obestatin levels were associated with maternal BMI (β = -0.03; P = 0.045) and paternal BMI (β = -0.02; P = 0.048) independently of maternal and paternal education, maternal age, and maternal use of tobacco, alcohol, and/or drugs. No association was detected with visfatin levels.

Conclusion: Inverse associations of maternal and paternal BMIs with offspring obestatin concentrations in women could suggest a utility of this biomarker of energy regulation determined in early adulthood. Whether obestatin could be an indicator of protection against obesity-related disorders in the life course requires investigation in studies designed to test such hypothesis.

Keywords: Energy homeostasis; Obestatin; Offspring; Parental body mass index; Visfatin.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Body Mass Index
Cross-Sectional Studies
Fathers*
Female
Ghrelin
Humans
Male
Mothers
Obesity

Substances

Ghrelin