Epigenetic changes constitute the key contributing factor of obesity during early development
[30][51], in which heritable changes in gene expression result from histone modifications, DNA methylation and non-coding RNAs, without modifying the DNA sequence
[52]. Genetic and/or environmental factors (e.g., nutritional changes, metabolic surgery, exercise) are thought to drive these epigenetic changes, in which several obesity-related traits, revealing cytosine-phosphate-guanine dinucleotides (CpG)-related sites (e.g., GNASAS1, MEG3, INSIGF2) are involved in altering DNA methylation in blood cells of the offspring
[30]. Exposure to low a glycaemic index diet among obese pregnant women has been shown to induce DNA methylation changes at 771,484 CpG sites located in NFIC, TBCD and IL17D genes in the offspring cord blood
[53]. Maternal obesity and high-fat intake during gestation may affect trans-generational epigenetic modifications. This is achieved through DNA methylation and chromatin alterations in adipogenic gene transcription, in which key epithelial to mesenchymal transcription (EMT)-related transcription factors (Slug, Zeb1, Zeb2, Snail, Twist) are involved, leading to increased obesity risk in the fetus
[54]. Pre-and postnatal high-fat diets alter the gut microbiota in the offspring as well as DNA methylation and histone modification that result in changing adipogenesis-related gene expression such as adiponectin, leptin and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR-γ), leading to increase obesity and metabolic diseases later in life
[55]. A few human studies investigating the epigenetic changes of early postnatal nutrition showed thatCpG3 methylation of leptin (LEP) and retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRA) obesity-related genes in infants are increased or decreased, depending on the duration of breastfeeding, and as a result, activate the PPAR-induced DNA demethylation in WAT, which drives changes in breast milk fatty acid (BM FA) composition
[56]. A long-term folic acid supplementation of 400 μg/day (>6 months) and the dietary intake of betaine in pregnant and/or lactating women are shown to increase cord blood LEP and RXRA methylation in infants
[57][58]. However, the impact of other dietary and supplemental methyl-group donors on these methylation changes have not yet been studied, given that methyl-donor intake through diet and supplementation may alter DNA methylation patterns in gene and disease susceptibility in humans
[59][60].
Pregnancy and lactation are characterized by increased markers of OS and inflammation
[36][37][38][39]. OS is induced by obesity in pregnancy, which may cause decreased fertility and increased miscarriage risk
[38]. The OS markers, superoxide anion, nitric oxide, carbonyl proteins and malondialdehyde, have been observed in obese pregnant women, which leads to impact fetal redox balance
[36]. The OS marker, 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG), along with lactose concentrations in breast milk, are found to be associated with a weight-for-length Z-score (WLZ) trajectory among infants of lactating overweight/obese women
[37]. Increased breast milk inflammatory cytokines (IL-8, IL-6, and IL-1β) have been found to be associated with increased weight gain in infants
[39]. The βOHB, a surrogate marker of liver ketogenesis, has been shown to regulate gene expression by inhibiting histone deacetylases (HDACs) and activating G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), and this may contribute to protection against OS and increased histone acetylation by inducing gene expression of Metallothionein 2 (Mt2) and forkhead box (Foxo3a) that encode oxidative stress resistance
[61]. Under prolonged fasting, histone lysine β-hydroxybutyrylation (kbhb), a type of histone post-translational modification, which regulates gene expression, is increased in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells as a result of βOHB level elevation
[62][63]. Administration of βOHB on the human gut microbiota has been found to be associated with increased butyrate and SCFAs (sum of propionate, succinate, acetate, lactate and butyrate) production
[64]. Butyrate promotes histone acetylation, inhibits HDACs activity in HEK293 cells, and suppresses lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pro-inflammatory gene production in human adipose microvascular endothelial cells (HAMEC), including C-C motif chemokine ligand (CCL2), IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1β
[63]. It has been shown that HEK293 cells are transiently transfect with the mutant melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R)
[65][66], a rhodopsin-like GPCR expressed in the hypothalamic pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons and the gene most commonly linked to obesity
[67], which is located on chromosome 18q21.31at an early age
[68]. MC4R mutant variant dysfunction may decrease ligand binding and expression of the receptor at the cell surface, with a reduction in MC4R agonist α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-induced cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production, resulting in increased obesity and hyperphagia
[65][66]. Leptin and insulin act on anorexigenic POMC neurons by signalling via its receptors to increase melanocortins and inhibit the orexigenic agouti related neuropeptide (AgRP)/neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurons, resulting in enhanced processing of POMC to α-MSH, decreased food intake and enhanced energy expenditure
[69]. In diet-induced obesity, elevated activation of inflammatory pathways such as nuclear transcription factor-kappaB (NF-kB) and inhibitors of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase β (IKKβ) induce levels of suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (Socs3) mRNA in POMC neurons and disrupt leptin/insulin signalling, leading to the development of insulin/leptin resistance in obesity
[69][70]. SCFAs, and in particular acetate and propionate, influence intestinal epithelial cells through binding to FFA2/GPR43 and FFAR3/GPR41 expressed in AT in humans
[71][72], leading to inhibition of signalling to the orexigenic hypothalamic neurons through systemic circulation by stimulating the secretion of key gut hormones, including glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY)
[72][73][74], which indirectly regulate food intake and energy expenditure by increasing leptin and insulin secretion in adipocytes
[72][73]. Taken together, βOHB and SCFAs act as potent epigenetic modifiers and exert anti-obesity effects providing a potential target in the treatment of obesity-induced inflammation and OS in children through interactions of leptin and insulin signalling in hypothalamic neurons, leading to regulated food intake and energy expenditure.