Publication
Title
Cord blood leptin and insulin levels in association with mitochondrial DNA content
Author
Abstract
Background: The developmental origins of health and disease theory states that a disturbance in the early life environment can contribute to disease risk in later life. Leptin and insulin are anorectic hormones involved in energy homeostasis and are crucial for foetal growth. Disturbances in the levels of these hormones contribute to obesity and diabetes. In adults, altered mitochondrial function is an important hallmark of metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes. However, the mitochondrial effects of early life metabolic variation are unexplored. We investigated whether there is an association between metabolic hormones and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content in early life. Methods: The study included 236 newborns from the FLEHS III birth cohort, Flanders (Belgium). Relative mtDNA content of cord blood leukocytes was determined using quantitative PCR. Cord blood levels of leptin and insulin were determined using immunoassays. We studied the association between these metabolic hormones and mtDNA content using multiple linear regression models, while accounting for covariates and potential confounders. Results: Leptin and insulin levels were positively associated with cord blood mtDNA content. mtDNA content was respectively 4.49% (95% CI 1.15-7.93; p= 0.008) and 1.60% (95% CI 0.31-2.91; p= 0.02) higher for a interquartile range increase of respectively cord blood leptin and insulin levels. In a sensitivity analysis, we observed that insulin and leptin were independently associated to mtDNA content and that insulin was stronger associated to mtDNA content in boys than in girls. Conclusion: Neonatal metabolic hormones were associated with cord blood mtDNA content, which suggests that in early life the variation of mtDNA content might accommodate or reflect changes in the metabolic status.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Journal of translational medicine. - London
Publication
London : 2018
ISSN
1479-5876
DOI
10.1186/S12967-018-1599-Z
Volume/pages
16 (2018) , p. 1-9
Article Reference
224
ISI
000442101300002
Pubmed ID
30103773
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
ENVIRONAGE: Unravelling environmental exposures in the core axis of ageing
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 08.10.2018
Last edited 04.03.2024
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