The Role of Prenatal Melatonin in the Regulation of Childhood Obesity

There is a growing awareness that pregnancy can set the foundations for an array of diverse medical conditions in the offspring, including obesity. A wide assortment of factors, including genetic, epigenetic, lifestyle, and diet can influence foetal outcomes. This article reviews the role of melaton...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Dmitry O. Ivanov, Inna I. Evsyukova, Gianluigi Mazzoccoli, George Anderson, Victoria O. Polyakova, Igor M. Kvetnoy, Annalucia Carbone, Ruslan A. Nasyrov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-04-01
Series:Biology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/9/4/72
_version_ 1797571429962612736
author Dmitry O. Ivanov
Inna I. Evsyukova
Gianluigi Mazzoccoli
George Anderson
Victoria O. Polyakova
Igor M. Kvetnoy
Annalucia Carbone
Ruslan A. Nasyrov
author_facet Dmitry O. Ivanov
Inna I. Evsyukova
Gianluigi Mazzoccoli
George Anderson
Victoria O. Polyakova
Igor M. Kvetnoy
Annalucia Carbone
Ruslan A. Nasyrov
author_sort Dmitry O. Ivanov
collection DOAJ
description There is a growing awareness that pregnancy can set the foundations for an array of diverse medical conditions in the offspring, including obesity. A wide assortment of factors, including genetic, epigenetic, lifestyle, and diet can influence foetal outcomes. This article reviews the role of melatonin in the prenatal modulation of offspring obesity. A growing number of studies show that many prenatal risk factors for poor foetal metabolic outcomes, including gestational diabetes and night-shift work, are associated with a decrease in pineal gland-derived melatonin and associated alterations in the circadian rhythm. An important aspect of circadian melatonin’s effects is mediated via the circadian gene, BMAL1, including in the regulation of mitochondrial metabolism and the mitochondrial melatoninergic pathway. Alterations in the regulation of mitochondrial metabolic shifts between glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation in immune and glia cells seem crucial to a host of human medical conditions, including in the development of obesity and the association of obesity with the risk of other medical conditions. The gut microbiome is another important hub in the pathoetiology and pathophysiology of many medical conditions, with negative consequences mediated by a decrease in the short-chain fatty acid, butyrate. The effects of butyrate are partly mediated via an increase in the melatoninergic pathway, indicating interactions of the gut microbiome with melatonin. Some of the effects of melatonin seem mediated via the alpha 7 nicotinic receptor, whilst both melatonin and butyrate may regulate obesity through the opioidergic system. Oxytocin, a recently recognized inhibitor of obesity, may also be acting via the opioidergic system. The early developmental regulation of these processes and factors by melatonin are crucial to the development of obesity and many diverse comorbidities.
first_indexed 2024-03-10T20:40:32Z
format Article
id doaj.art-e9c31d66bf46426fbd31987f723496da
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2079-7737
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-10T20:40:32Z
publishDate 2020-04-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Biology
spelling doaj.art-e9c31d66bf46426fbd31987f723496da2023-11-19T20:46:41ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372020-04-01947210.3390/biology9040072The Role of Prenatal Melatonin in the Regulation of Childhood ObesityDmitry O. Ivanov0Inna I. Evsyukova1Gianluigi Mazzoccoli2George Anderson3Victoria O. Polyakova4Igor M. Kvetnoy5Annalucia Carbone6Ruslan A. Nasyrov7Saint-Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, 194100 St. Petersburg, RussiaOtt Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology, 199034 St. Petersburg, RussiaDepartment of Medical Sciences, Division of Internal Medicine and Chronobiology Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, ItalyCRC Scotland & London, London E14 6JE, UKSaint-Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, 194100 St. Petersburg, RussiaSaint-Petersburg State University, University Embankment 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, RussiaDepartment of Medical Sciences, Division of Internal Medicine and Chronobiology Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, ItalySaint-Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, 194100 St. Petersburg, RussiaThere is a growing awareness that pregnancy can set the foundations for an array of diverse medical conditions in the offspring, including obesity. A wide assortment of factors, including genetic, epigenetic, lifestyle, and diet can influence foetal outcomes. This article reviews the role of melatonin in the prenatal modulation of offspring obesity. A growing number of studies show that many prenatal risk factors for poor foetal metabolic outcomes, including gestational diabetes and night-shift work, are associated with a decrease in pineal gland-derived melatonin and associated alterations in the circadian rhythm. An important aspect of circadian melatonin’s effects is mediated via the circadian gene, BMAL1, including in the regulation of mitochondrial metabolism and the mitochondrial melatoninergic pathway. Alterations in the regulation of mitochondrial metabolic shifts between glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation in immune and glia cells seem crucial to a host of human medical conditions, including in the development of obesity and the association of obesity with the risk of other medical conditions. The gut microbiome is another important hub in the pathoetiology and pathophysiology of many medical conditions, with negative consequences mediated by a decrease in the short-chain fatty acid, butyrate. The effects of butyrate are partly mediated via an increase in the melatoninergic pathway, indicating interactions of the gut microbiome with melatonin. Some of the effects of melatonin seem mediated via the alpha 7 nicotinic receptor, whilst both melatonin and butyrate may regulate obesity through the opioidergic system. Oxytocin, a recently recognized inhibitor of obesity, may also be acting via the opioidergic system. The early developmental regulation of these processes and factors by melatonin are crucial to the development of obesity and many diverse comorbidities.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/9/4/72melatoninobesityprenatalcircadianpostnataldevelopment
spellingShingle Dmitry O. Ivanov
Inna I. Evsyukova
Gianluigi Mazzoccoli
George Anderson
Victoria O. Polyakova
Igor M. Kvetnoy
Annalucia Carbone
Ruslan A. Nasyrov
The Role of Prenatal Melatonin in the Regulation of Childhood Obesity
Biology
melatonin
obesity
prenatal
circadian
postnatal
development
title The Role of Prenatal Melatonin in the Regulation of Childhood Obesity
title_full The Role of Prenatal Melatonin in the Regulation of Childhood Obesity
title_fullStr The Role of Prenatal Melatonin in the Regulation of Childhood Obesity
title_full_unstemmed The Role of Prenatal Melatonin in the Regulation of Childhood Obesity
title_short The Role of Prenatal Melatonin in the Regulation of Childhood Obesity
title_sort role of prenatal melatonin in the regulation of childhood obesity
topic melatonin
obesity
prenatal
circadian
postnatal
development
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/9/4/72
work_keys_str_mv AT dmitryoivanov theroleofprenatalmelatoninintheregulationofchildhoodobesity
AT innaievsyukova theroleofprenatalmelatoninintheregulationofchildhoodobesity
AT gianluigimazzoccoli theroleofprenatalmelatoninintheregulationofchildhoodobesity
AT georgeanderson theroleofprenatalmelatoninintheregulationofchildhoodobesity
AT victoriaopolyakova theroleofprenatalmelatoninintheregulationofchildhoodobesity
AT igormkvetnoy theroleofprenatalmelatoninintheregulationofchildhoodobesity
AT annaluciacarbone theroleofprenatalmelatoninintheregulationofchildhoodobesity
AT ruslananasyrov theroleofprenatalmelatoninintheregulationofchildhoodobesity
AT dmitryoivanov roleofprenatalmelatoninintheregulationofchildhoodobesity
AT innaievsyukova roleofprenatalmelatoninintheregulationofchildhoodobesity
AT gianluigimazzoccoli roleofprenatalmelatoninintheregulationofchildhoodobesity
AT georgeanderson roleofprenatalmelatoninintheregulationofchildhoodobesity
AT victoriaopolyakova roleofprenatalmelatoninintheregulationofchildhoodobesity
AT igormkvetnoy roleofprenatalmelatoninintheregulationofchildhoodobesity
AT annaluciacarbone roleofprenatalmelatoninintheregulationofchildhoodobesity
AT ruslananasyrov roleofprenatalmelatoninintheregulationofchildhoodobesity