生命期早期的營養狀態對成人時期代謝性疾病的影響

Nutrition Status During Early Life of Adults Affects Offsprings’Risk of Developing Metabolic Syndrome

代謝症候群在世界各國盛行率持續上升,代謝症候群會增加心血管疾病及第二型糖尿病的風險,造成死亡率上升。生命早期的營養狀態及母親懷孕時的飲食,會影響子代將來成年後發生代謝症候群的風險。生命早期的環境對子代造成長期影響的機轉所知甚少。表觀遺傳可能是說明了早期環境的暴露與將來發生疾病之間的關聯性。包括 DNA 甲基化和組蛋白乙醯化等表觀遺傳的機轉,會改變一些基因的表現模式,進而改變發育編程。發育過程改變表觀遺傳調節基因表現與引發慢性疾病兩者之間的關係,因此可以使用營養介入方式改變代謝疾病的風險。

Metabolic syndrome prevalence is rising worldwide and has become a growing cause of mortality by increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Early life nutrition and maternal diet are shown to influence the risk of metabolic syndrome of offspring in adults. The mechanisms by which early environmental conditions have long-term effects on offspring are poorly demonstrated. Epigenetics may provide the link between the environmental exposure of early life and disease phenotype in later life. Epigenetics mechanisms including DNA methylation and histone modification may change the expression pattern of some genes as well as the developmental programming. The relationship between altered epigenetic regulation of genes in the development and induction of chronic diseases opens up the possibility of applying nutritional inventions to modify the risk of metabolic disease.