Propensity for Obesity, Diabetes May Occur In Utero

http://www.buffalo.edu/news/fast-ex...rticle=72520009

Studies with rats show permanent "malprogramming" of metabolism, appetite center

Release date: Thursday, April 21, 2005
Contact: Lois Baker, ljbaker~buffalo.edu
Phone: 716-645-5000 ext 1417
Fax: 716-645-3765

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The adage "You are what you eat" should be rephrased to include "and so are your children," based on metabolic research pioneered by researchers at the University at Buffalo.
Previous studies by the UB scientists showed that rat pups raised artificially on a high-carbohydrate milk formula identical in calories to mother's milk developed changes in pancreatic islets, resulting in overproduction of insulin and obesity in adulthood.

The progeny of these high-carbohydrate (HC) mothers raised naturally also develop the same maladjustments, they found.

The researchers now have shown that this metabolic "malprogramming" is permanent and occurs in utero, resulting in the next generation born to HC mothers carrying the HC phenotype. Rat fetuses had increased plasma insulin levels, increased mRNA levels of preproinsulin, a precursor of insulin, and increased insulin in the pancreas, without an increase in body weight, plasma glucose level or a change in islet structure.

They also found changes in the hypothalamus, the brain's center of appetite regulation, that result in appetite stimulation.

While these studies were done with rats, Mulchand Patel, Ph.D, UB distinguished professor of biochemistry and first author on the study, speculated that there is good reason to think the mechanism could be similar in humans.

"Obesity can be perpetuated via the maternal intrauterine environment," said Patel, who reported the findings at the 2005 Experimental Biology meeting held in San Diego in early April.

"Our earlier studies looked at progeny in the post-weaning period, so we didn't know how early this malprogramming occurred. Now we know it occurs in utero. We predicted that this could be the case, and our present findings support this prediction."

Plasma levels of rat pups (2-HC) born to HC mothers returned to normal during the suckling period, results showed, but islets from 12-day-old suckling 2-HC rats showed a capacity for insulin oversecretion when maintained in culture medium containing high glucose levels. By the 28th day, approximately 4 days after weaning to rat chow, 2-HC rats once again had high insulin levels and showed a higher capacity for insulin secretion to a glucose stimulus. Even on rat chow, body weight began to increase around day 55, and 2-HC rats were obese by post-natal day 100.

Patel speculated that in humans, it's possible such malprogramming could be interrupted if an obese/insulin resistant mother brought body weight and plasma insulin levels back to normal before becoming pregnant.

My cousin is very heavy and has numerous symptoms of metabolic syndrome. She had gestational diabetes with both pregnancies and ate very poorly.

Her son was born thin and started getting heavier year after year. Right now he is obese and close to being morbidly obese, he's only 10 years old. I know it is an insulin thing. He has that "hump" on the back of his neck, his weight is just not normal childhood pudge. She believes he is allergic to everything so she feeds him nothing but starches and fruit. I feel very bad for the child because I cannot help him. I know he will continue to gain and hurt his sugar metabolism until he is old enough to help himself, unfortunately.

I've noticed this in people before, but never read anything about it. Do you know if it has some sort of significance?

Thanks,
Veda

I've wondered about that myself, learned a little about it in school and looked it up and there seems to be different causes, as well as different types of humps. One is a fatty deposit which has to do with very excessive cortisol production, other types are more structural in nature. There's the "dowager's hump" which is generally related to osteoporosis and the degeneration of the spine... but in young people it seems to have more to do with poor posture coupled with inactivity. If the muscles on the front of the neck (esp. sternocleidomastoid) are shortened it will pull the head and the neck forward permanantly. It's easy to see how that happens.. we spend so much time sitting or standing with our shoulders and head slumped forward at the computer, driving, in front of the tv etc. I've noticed it seems to be a very common posture for young people too. My grandmother has the dowager's hump and so does my dad - I've had one since I was a little kid. Is it congentital? Is it "tall girl syndrome?" as my teacher called it - years spent slouching and trying to hide not only height but a developing figure. It was very pronounced when I was fat, as I lost weight it became less obvious but the body structure was still there. I have not discovered yet whether enough exercise/physio/stretching etc. can get rid of it.

Anyone with info - I'd love to hear it!

I too am interested in this topic. I had my first visit with an endocrinologist in my late 20s and he specifically felt of my "hump" and made note of it on my chart, yet we did not discuss its significance at the time. Of course that was 10 years ago and as I have lost weight, as Meg S says, it has become less obvious, yet if I gain any at all, it immediately becomes more pronounced. I am not tall, yet I did develop early and I DID slouch to try to minimize the appearance of that. So, I have wondered, is it poor posture or something else?? Seems like I read somewhere it can associated with PCOS, but I could be imagining that too -- it has been so long, I can't accurately remember.

I would love to hear "real" information about this as well!

I was adopted into a very thin family, I am the only one that is overweight. My weight problem started around age 5, I pretty much ate the same foods everyone else was eating. My doctor who was also my natural mother's doctor told me that she was 5'2" and weighed 150.

I also have the hump. I never ever have heard is associated with insulin before. I'm in physical therapy right now for the forward neck thing. I injured my neck and my doctor thought it was associated with the injury but I've always had it.

Found out what that hump is called "Buffalo Hump". Its associated with lots of things including obesity and Cushings Disease.

Mine has gotten flatter since I've lost weight. It doesn't feel as fatty as it once did. I also think I have two vertebrae which are sort of welded together (from birth) right there that makes it even look worse.

For what I know it is a symptom of Cushing's Syndrome.

General physical features include a tendency to gain weight, especially on the abdomen, face (moon face), neck and upper back (buffalo hump); thinning and weakness of the muscles of the upper arms and upper legs; thinning of the skin, with easy bruising and pink or purple stretch marks (striae) on the abdomen, thighs, breasts and shoulders; increased acne, facial hair growth, and scalp hair loss in women; sometimes a ruddy complexion on the face and neck; often a skin darkening (acanthosis) on the neck. Children will show obesity and poor growth in height.

You can read more about it here.

http://www.medhelp.org/www/nadf4.htm

The hump is a deposit of fat at the back of the neck, which is related to metabolic syndrome.