FADS1 and FADS2 Gene Polymorphisms Modulate the Relationship of Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acid Plasma Concentrations in Gestational Weight Gain: A NISAMI Cohort Study.

Jerusa da Mota Santana,Maria do Carmo Gouveia Peluzio,Djanilson Barbosa dos Santos,Iúri Drumond Louro,Gisele Queiroz Carvalho,Ana Marlucia Oliveira,Marcos Pereira

doi:10.3390/nu14051056

Abstract

The polymorphisms of fatty acid desaturase genes FADS1 and FADS2 have been associated with an increase in weight gain. We investigated FADS1 and FADS2 gene polymorphisms and the relation between ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acid plasma concentrations and gestational weight gain. A prospective cohort study of 199 pregnant women was followed in Santo Antônio de Jesus, Brazil. Plasma levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were measured at baseline and gestational weight gain during the first, second, and third trimesters. Fatty acid recognition was carried out with the aid of gas chromatography. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped using real-time PCR. Statistical analyses included Structural Equation Modelling. A direct effect of FADS1 and FADS2 gene polymorphisms on gestational weight was observed; however, only the SNP rs174575 (FADS2) showed a significant positive direct effect on weight over the course of the pregnancy (0.106; p = 0.016). In terms of the influence of SNPs on plasma levels of PUFAs, it was found that SNP rs174561 (FADS1) and SNP rs174575 (FADS2) showed direct adverse effects on plasma concentrations of ω-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid and alpha-linoleic acid), and only SNP rs174575 had positive direct effects on plasma levels of ARA and the ARA/LA (arachidonic acid/linoleic acid) ratio, ω-6 products, while the SNP rs3834458 (FADS2) had an adverse effect on plasma concentrations of EPA, leading to its increase. Pregnant women who were heterozygous and homozygous for the minor allele of the SNP rs3834458 (FADS2), on the other hand, showed larger concentrations of series ω-3 substrates, which indicates a protective factor for women’s health.

Highlights

Excessive weight gain (GWG) in pregnancy may be related to postpartum weight retention (PPWR) [1], associated with the development of obesity in the immediately subsequent cycles of a woman’s life [2]
This study aims to evaluate the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the FADS1 and FADS2 genes expressed in the plasma concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (ω-3 and ω-6) and the relationship with weight gain in pregnancy
When comparing weight gain according to age, maternal education, and gestational week among the sample losses (n = 65) and the women who remained in the study, no statistically significant differences were detected in the selected associations

Summary

Introduction

Obesity is a public health issue affecting women from all continents and of different ethnic origins. Excessive weight gain (GWG) in pregnancy may be related to postpartum weight retention (PPWR) [1], associated with the development of obesity in the immediately subsequent cycles of a woman’s life [2]. Genetic factors may contribute to trigger obesity in pregnancy [5,6] This relationship can be understood through the theory of nutrigenetics, which points to the effects of biological markers, such as genetic polymorphisms, in the individual’s response to food [7,8]. Based on this theory and on the scientific information that indicates a relationship between nutritional and genetic factors associated with overweight in the gestational period, the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the FADS genes (desaturase genes) stand out

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion