Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and the modulation of genes related to mitochondrial metabolism and their relationship with obesity predisposition in the adulthood

• Grant number: 13/01358-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: June 01, 2013
• End date: November 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Principal Investigator: Daisy Maria Favero Salvadori
• Grantee: Maruhen Amir Datsch Silveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Obesity is a multifactorial disease, involving complexes interactions between genetic and environmental factors. However, the increased incidence, early onset and severity of this disease are still not well understood. Several findings have demonstrated that in utero stressors (such as gestational diabetes, deficient nutritional status, cigarette smoking compounds, etc) can promote epigenetic and transcriptional changes, besides affecting mitochondrial metabolism, modulate fetal development and predispose to later development of diseases, including obesity and other metabolic syndrome components. Therefore, this study aims to identify, in cells of the placenta (fetal and maternal sides) and umbilical cord blood of newborns from mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) if certain genetic events (expression of genes related to mitochondrial metabolism - MnSOD, PPARalpha and PPARGC1-beta), epigenetic event (methylation gene) and protein changes are related to a higher risk for developing obesity in adulthood. For this, the study will include pregnant women with GDM (Group 1, n = 15) and their respective newborns (Group 2, n = 15), and healthy pregnant women (Group 3, n = 15) and their newborns (Group 4, n = 15). Additionally, adult obese (Group 5, n = 15) and eutrophic (Group 6, n = 15) subjects will be included as reference populations. It is expected the results may contribute for elucidating the molecular changes induced by gestational diabetes, in order to establish strategies for preventing or reducing future risk for obesity.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SILVEIRA, Maruhen Amir Datsch. Efeito Diabetes mellitus gestacional na modulação de genes relacionados ao metabolismo mitocondrial e a implicação na predisposiçao do recém-nascido à obesidade. 2015. Master's Dissertation - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Instituto de Biociências. Botucatu Botucatu.