Dietary supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acid during pregnancy modulates DNA methylation at IGF2/H19 imprinted genes and growth of infants

This study was based on a randomized intervention trial conducted in Mexican pregnant women supplemented daily with 400 mg of DHA or a placebo from gestation week 18–22 to parturition. We applied quantitative profiling of DNA methylation states at IGF2 promoter 3 (IGF2 P3), IGF2 differentially methylated region (DMR), and H19 DMR in cord blood mononuclear cells of the DHA-supplemented group (n = 131) and the control group (n = 130). In stratified analyses, DNA methylation levels in IGF2 P3 were significantly higher in the DHA group than the control group in preterm infants (P = 0.04). We also observed a positive association between DNA methylation levels and maternal body mass index; IGF2 DMR methylation was higher in the DHA group than the control group in infants of overweight mothers (P = 0.03). In addition, at H19 DMR, methylation levels were significantly lower in the DHA group than the control group in infants of normal weight mothers (P = 0.01). Finally, methylation levels at IGF2/H19 imprinted regions were associated with maternal BMI. These findings suggest that epigenetic mechanisms may be modulated by DHA, with potential impacts on child growth and development.

Source: Physiological Genomics - December 1, 2014 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Lee, H.-S., Barraza-Villarreal, A., Biessy, C., Duarte-Salles, T., Sly, P. D., Ramakrishnan, U., Rivera, J., Herceg, Z., Romieu, I. Tags: Nutrient Gene Interaction Source Type: research