Short-Term NMN Administration Shows Promise in Alleviating Metabolic Impairments in Offspring of Obese Mothers
Introduction: Obesity has become a major health concern worldwide, leading to numerous complications and lifelong diseases. Childhood obesity, in particular, is on the rise and is strongly influenced by parental overweight. Maternal obesity has been associated with adverse metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes in offspring, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Mitochondrial dysfunction, specifically a decline in NAD+ levels, plays a significant role in obesity-related diseases. NAD+ boosting agents, such as NMN, have shown potential in improving metabolic impairments.
Research Study Overview:
A recent study investigated the effects of NMN administration on male offspring of lean or obese mothers, who were fed either a regular chow or high-fat diet. NMN injections were given to the offspring at 31 weeks of age, daily for 3 weeks. Glucose tolerance was measured at various ages to assess the impacts of the high-fat diet and NMN treatment. Additionally, metabolic markers such as liver lipid accumulation and gene expression related to fat metabolism were evaluated.
Results and Findings:
The study found that NMN treatment significantly improved impaired glucose tolerance caused by maternal and post-weaning high-fat diet. It also reduced hepatic lipid accumulation in offspring of obese mothers, with a 50% reduction in chow-fed offspring and a 23% reduction in high-fat diet-fed offspring. NMN treatment led to a reduction in genes involved in fat synthesis and transport, while increasing those related to fatty acid oxidation.
Implications:
The findings suggest that short-term NMN administration could be a potential therapeutic approach for addressing metabolic diseases caused by maternal and post-weaning over-nutrition, even in late adulthood. The study underscores the importance of addressing maternal obesity and its effects on offspring metabolism. Boosting NAD+ levels through NMN treatment holds promise in ameliorating the metabolic impairments associated with maternal obesity and a high-fat diet.
Conclusion:
The research highlights the significant impact of maternal obesity on offspring metabolism and the potential benefits of NMN administration in improving metabolic outcomes. Addressing maternal obesity and implementing strategies to enhance NAD+ levels may be instrumental in combating the intergenerational consequences of the obesity epidemic. Further research is needed to assess the relative sensitivities of male and female offspring to maternal obesity.
Supplementary Material and Author Information:
Supplementing the article, access is provided to additional resources, including the primer sequences of the examined genes and a PDF data file. The contributions and funding sources of the researchers involved in the study are also outlined, along with disclosures of conflicts of interest.
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Title of paper: Administration of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) Reduces Metabolic Impairment in Male Mouse Offspring from Obese Mothers
Author(s): Uddin GM, Youngson NA, Chowdhury SS, Hagan C, Sinclair DA, Morris MJ.
Year published: 2020
Published in: Cells
Original article can be found here.
