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Protein linked to obesity in children of mothers who smoke

Chemerin mRNA expression was increased and chemerin DNA methylation was decreased in boys born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy, suggesting a possible reason for why these children have a greater risk for becoming obese, according to findings recently published in Experimental Physiology.

Chemerin is a protein linked to obesity, according to a press release distributed by The Physiological Society.

“It has been shown in utero tobacco exposure increases offspring risk for obesity, but the mechanisms responsible for this increased risk are not well understood,” Leryn J. Reynolds, PhD, of the department of human movement sciences at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, and colleagues wrote.

“Chemerin is an adipokine that regulates adipocyte differentiation. This chemokine is elevated in obese individuals and with smoke exposure, but its levels have not been measured in neonates exposed to cigarette smoke in utero,” they added.

Researchers looked at the chemerin gene expression in 31 infants born to nonsmokers and 15 born to smokers, and DNA methylation in 28 infants born to nonsmokers and 11 born to smokers using the discarded foreskins of recently circumcised newborn boys. In a second group made up of 11 infants born to nonsmokers and eight born to smokers, researchers used primary dermal foreskin fibroblasts as a functional measure of adipogenesis in living cells.

Reynolds and colleagues found chemerin mRNA was higher in both whole tissue and primary fibroblasts collected from infants born to smoking mothers. Chemerin DNA methylation was lower in whole tissue of infants born to smokers.

Researchers added that they did not measure chemerin receptor directly. They also noted that since they only collected skin samples from infant boys, it is premature to suggest infant girls would have the same outcomes.

“Despite the present limitations, these results provide important new evidence for a link between maternal smoking during pregnancy and increased chemerin mRNA expression,” Reynolds and colleagues wrote. – by Janel Miller

Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.