Summary: A new review reports on associations between birth defects in offspring and its father’s age, alcohol use and other environmental factors.
Source: Georgetown University Medical Center
A growing body of research is revealing associations between birth defects and a father’s age, alcohol use and environmental factors, say researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center. They say these defects result from epigenetic alterations that can potentially affect multiple generations.
The study, published in the American Journal of Stem Cells, suggest both parents contribute to the health status of their offspring — a common sense conclusion which science is only now beginning to demonstrate, says the study’s senior investigator, Joanna Kitlinska, PhD, an associate professor in biochemistry, and molecular and cellular biology.
“We know the nutritional, hormonal and psychological environment provided by the mother permanently alters organ structure, cellular response and gene expression in her offspring,” she says.
“But our study shows the same thing to be true with fathers — his lifestyle, and how old he is, can be reflected in molecules that control gene function,” she says. “In this way, a father can affect not only his immediate offspring, but future generations as well.”
For example, a newborn can be diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), even though the mother has never consumed alcohol, Kitlinska says. “Up to 75 percent of children with FASD have biological fathers who are alcoholics, suggesting that preconceptual paternal alcohol consumption negatively impacts their offspring.”
The report is a review of evidence, human and animal, published to date on the link between fathers and heritable epigenetic programming.
Among the studies reviewed are ones that find:
- Advanced age of a father is correlated with elevated rates of schizophrenia, autism, and birth defects in his children;
- A limited diet during a father’s pre-adolescence has been linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular death in his children and grandchildren;
- Paternal obesity is linked to enlarged fat cells, changes in metabolic regulation, diabetes, obesity and development of brain cancer;
- Psychosocial stress on the father is linked to defective behavioral traits in his offspring; and
- Paternal alcohol use leads to decreased newborn birth weight, marked reduction in overall brain size and impaired cognitive function.
“This new field of inherited paternal epigenetics needs to be organized into clinically applicable recommendations and lifestyle alternations,” Kitlinska says. “And to really understand the epigenetic influences of a child, we need to study the interplay between maternal and paternal effects, as opposed to considering each in isolation.”
The study’s co-authors are Jonathan Day, MS, Soham Savani, MS, Ben Krempley, MS, and Matthew Nguyen, MS, graduates of Georgetown’s Special Masters Program in Physiology.
Funding: This study was supported in part by National Institutes of Health grants (1R01CA123211, 1R03CA178809, R01CA197964 and 1R21CA198698).
Source: Karen Teber – Georgetown University Medical Center
Image Source: This NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.
Original Research: Full open access research for “Influence of paternal preconception exposures on their offspring: through epigenetics to phenotype” by Jonathan Day, Soham Savani, Benjamin D Krempley, Matthew Nguyen, and Joanna B Kitlinska in American Journal of Stem Cells. Published online May 15 2016 doi:Not Available
[cbtabs][cbtab title=”MLA”]Georgetown University Medical Center. “Father’s Age and Lifestyle Associated With Birth Defects.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 15 May 2016.
<https://neurosciencenews.com/father-age-birth-defects-epigenetics-4242/>.[/cbtab][cbtab title=”APA”]Georgetown University Medical Center. (2016, May 15). Father’s Age and Lifestyle Associated With Birth Defects. NeuroscienceNews. Retrieved May 15, 2016 from https://neurosciencenews.com/father-age-birth-defects-epigenetics-4242/[/cbtab][cbtab title=”Chicago”]Georgetown University Medical Center. “Father’s Age and Lifestyle Associated With Birth Defects.” NeuroscienceNews.
https://neurosciencenews.com/father-age-birth-defects-epigenetics-4242/ (accessed May 15, 2016).[/cbtab][/cbtabs]
Abstract
Influence of paternal preconception exposures on their offspring: through epigenetics to phenotype
Historically, research into congenital defects has focused on maternal impacts on the fetal genome during gestation and prenatal periods. However, recent findings have sparked interest in epigenetic alterations of paternal genomes and its effects on offspring. This emergent field focuses on how environmental influences can epigenetically alter gene expression and ultimately change the phenotype and behavior of progeny. There are three primary mechanisms implicated in these changes: DNA methylation, histone modification, and miRNA expression. This paper provides a summary and subsequent review of past research, which highlights the significant impact of environmental factors on paternal germ cells during the lifetime of an individual as well as those of future generations. These findings support the existence of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of paternal experiences. Specifically, we explore epidemiological and laboratory studies that demonstrate possible links between birth defects and paternal age, environmental factors, and alcohol consumption. Ultimately, our review highlights the clinical importance of these factors as well as the necessity for future research in the field.
“Influence of paternal preconception exposures on their offspring: through epigenetics to phenotype” by Jonathan Day, Soham Savani, Benjamin D Krempley, Matthew Nguyen, and Joanna B Kitlinska in American Journal of Stem Cells. Published online May 15 2016 doi:Not Available
