Effects of maternal exercise on infant mesenchymal stem cell mitochondrial function, insulin action, and body composition in infancy.

Maternal exercise (ME) has been established as a useful non-pharmacological intervention to improve infant metabolic health; however, mechanistic insight behind these adaptations remains mostly confined to animal models. Infant mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) give rise to infant tissues (e.g., skeletal muscle), and remain involved in mature tissue maintenance. Importantly, these cells maintain metabolic characteristics of an offspring donor and provide a model for the investigation of mechanisms behind infant metabolic health improvements. We used undifferentiated MSC to investigate if ME affects infant MSC mitochondrial function and insulin action, and if these adaptations are associated with lower infant adiposity. We found that infants from exercising mothers have improvements in MSC insulin signaling related to higher MSC respiration and fat oxidation, and expression and activation of energy-sensing and redox-sensitive proteins. Further, we found that infants exposed to exercise in utero were leaner at 1 month of age, with a significant inverse correlation between infant MSC respiration and infant adiposity at 6 months of age. These data suggest that infants from exercising mothers are relatively leaner, and this is associated with higher infant MSC mitochondrial respiration, fat use, and insulin action.

The Effect of Varying Fatty Acid Composition on Postprandial Airway Inflammation, Pulmonary Function, and Airway Resistance in Healthy, Young Adults.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of varying fatty acid composition in a HFM on eNO, pulmonary function, and airway resistance. METHODS: Fifteen individuals [6 M/9 F; 21.9 ± 1.5 years old] each completed three HFM conditions {SF, O6FA, and O3FA; 12 kcal/kg body weight, 63% total fat, and 0.72 g/kg sugar smoothies} in random order separated by at least 48 h. Airway inflammation assessed via eNO, pulmonary function measured using the maximum flow volume loop (MFVL) and airway resistance measured using impulse oscillometry (iOS) were taken at baseline, 2h and 4h postprandially. RESULTS: There was no difference in eNO or iOS across time in any condition or between conditions (p > 0.05). There was a significant time by condition effect for FEV1 post-HFM in the SF and O6FA conditions (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Different fatty acid compositions do not increase eNO or iOS in healthy, college-aged participants after consumption of a HFM, though the minimally processed meals with fruit added may contribute to these findings.

Effects of Maternal Exercise Modes on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Offspring Stem Cells.

CONTEXT: Maternal exercise positively influences pregnancy outcomes and metabolic health in progeny; however, data regarding the effects of different modes of prenatal exercise on offspring metabolic phenotype is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the effects of different modes of maternal exercise on offspring umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) metabolism. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Clinical research facility. PATIENTS: Healthy females between 18 and 35 years of age and <16 weeks' gestation. INTERVENTION: Women were randomized to either 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic, resistance (RE), or combination exercise per week or to a non-exercising control. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: At delivery, MSCs were isolated from the umbilical cords. MSC glucose and fatty acid(s) metabolism was assessed using radiolabeled substrates. RESULTS: MSCs from offspring of all the exercising women demonstrated greater partitioning of oleate (P ≤ 0.05) and palmitate (P ≤ 0.05) toward complete oxidation relative to non-exercisers. MSCs from offspring of all exercising mothers also had lower rates of incomplete fatty acid oxidation (P ≤ 0.05), which was related to infant adiposity at 1 month of age. MSCs from all exercising groups exhibited higher insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis rates (P ≤ 0.05), with RE having the largest effect (P ≤ 0.05). RE also had the greatest effect on MSC glucose oxidation rates (P ≤ 0.05) and partitioning toward complete oxidation (P ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrates that maternal exercise enhances glucose and lipid metabolism of offspring MSCs. Improvements in MSC glucose metabolism seem to be the greatest with maternal RE. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03838146.

Saturated Fatty Acids Consumed in Smoothies Increase Glucose and Metabolic Load Index in Young Adults Compared to Polyunsaturated Omega-3-Fatty Acids.

Introduction: Chronic diets high in saturated fat (SF) and omega-6-fatty acids (O6FAs) elevate fasting triglycerides (TRGs) and glucose (GLU). Postprandial TRGs, GLU, and Metabolic Load Index (MLI) are better predictors of disease risk compared to fasting levels alone. Conversely, diets high in omega-3 fatty acids (O3FAs) may be cardioprotective. Unfortunately, many existing postprandial studies are not standardized to body weight and given in an amount individuals would typically consume in their daily lives; the MLI is not calculated, and varying types of fat content are not examined. Therefore, we sought to determine whether SF, O3FAs, or O6FAs altered postprandial TRGs, GLU, and MLI from a standardized mixed meal. Methods: Fifteen individuals (6 M and 9 F) visited the laboratory three times, separated by at least 48 h, to consume HFM smoothies with varying FA composition (SF, high O6FAs, and high O3FAs). The smoothies were standardized to 12 kcal/kg body weight, 63% total fat, and 0.72 g/kg sugar. TRGs and GLU were collected at baseline and at 2 h and 4 h postprandially; the MLI was calculated by summing the TRG and GLU responses at each time point. Results: There was a significant increase in TRGs across time points (p < 0.001). For TRGs, there was a trend toward a significant interaction between smoothie type and time (p = 0.06) due to the increase in TRGs in the SF compared to the O3FA smoothie. There was an increase in postprandial GLU that varied across smoothie types (p = 0.036). Taken together, the MLI was elevated in the SF smoothie compared to the O3FAs at 2 h (p = 0.041). Conclusion: A SF smoothie in the morning elevated the metabolic load compared to an O3FA smoothie. Mechanisms of action in the competing clearance of TRGs and GLU warrant further investigation.