Myogenically differentiated mesenchymal stem cell insulin sensitivity is associated with infant adiposity at 1 and 6 months of age
Filip Jevtovic, Donghai Zheng, Joseph A. Houmard, Kara Kern, Alex Claiborne, Christian A. Lopez, Nicholas T. Broskey, Christy Isler, Jim DeVente, Edward R. Newton, Linda E. May
Abstract
Abstract Objective In adults, skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity (S I ) and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) are linked with a predisposition to obesity. The current study aimed to determine the effects of maternal exercise on a model of infant skeletal muscle tissue (differentiated umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs]) S I and FAO and analyzed for associations with infant body composition. Methods Females <16 weeks' gestation were randomized to either 150 min/wk of moderate‐intensity aerobic, resistance, or combination exercise or a nonexercising control. At delivery, MSCs were isolated from umbilical cords and myogenically differentiated, and S I and FAO were measured using radiolabeled substrates. Infant body fat percentage (BF%) and fat‐free mass were calculated using standard equations at 1 and 6 months of age. Results MSCs from infants of all exercisers had significantly ( p < 0.05) higher S I . MSC S I was inversely associated with infant BF% at 1 ( r = −0.38, p < 0.05) and 6 ( r = −0.65, p < 0.01) months of age. Infants with high S I had lower BF% at 1 ( p = 0.06) and 6 ( p < 0.01) months of age. MSCs in the high S I group had higher ( p < 0.05) FAO. Conclusions Exposure to any type of exercise in utero improves offspring S I and could reduce adiposity in early infancy.