TNF-alpha promoter methylation in peripheral white blood cells: Relationship with circulating TNFα, truncal fat and n-6 PUFA intake in young women

Epigenetics and human obesity

“…The candidate gene methylation studies have focussed on a range of genes implicated in obesity, appetite control and/or metabolism, insulin signalling, immunity, growth, circadian clock regulation and imprinted genes, and assessed their relationship with a variety of obesity markers. Collectively, these studies have identified lower methylation of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) in PBL 51 , pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) in muscle 52 and leptin (LEP) in whole blood (WB) 53 and increased methylation of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) in WB 54 , PPARγ coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1α) 52 in muscle, and CLOCK and aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like (BMAL1) 55 genes in PBL in obese compared to lean individuals. Associations between BMI, adiposity, and waist circumference, with methylation in PDK4 in muscle 52 , melanin-concentrating hormone receptor 1 (MCHR1) in WB 57 , and the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) gene 56 , the androgen receptor (AR) 58 , 11 bhydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (HSD2) 59 , period circadian clock 2 (PER2) 55 and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) 59 in PBL have also been reported.…”

Epigenome-wide analysis of neonatal CD4+T-cell DNA methylation sites potentially affected by maternal fish oil supplementation

“…14 Another study that investigated the association of n-6 PUFA intake and central obesity in 40 young women found that the level of TNF promoter methylation of peripheral white cells was associated with n-6 PUFA intake. 15 Of greatest relevance here, emerging data from animal studies support a role for maternal intake of PUFA in pregnancy in the modulation of offspring epigenetic profile. 16,17 In a recent study involving pregnant women who had been supplemented with DHA or placebo from the second trimester until delivery, Lee et al measured the DNA methylation changes in genes associated with Th1, Th2, Th17, and regulatory T-cell development, as well as LINE1 repetitive elements of cord blood mononuclear cells.…”

DNA Hypermethylation of the Serotonin Receptor Type-2A Gene Is Associated with a Worse Response to a Weight Loss Intervention in Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome

“…Diet is considered an important environmental factor that affects DNA methylation [6,28]. In this sense, the dietary levels of methyl-donor precursors (vitamins of the B complex or certain amino acids) have been shown to be important in the prevention of psychiatric diseases and obesity [40,41].…”

“…The EDTA–plasma and serum samples as well as WBC were separated from whole blood by centrifugation at 3500 rpm, 5 °C, 15 min (Model 5804R, Eppendorf, Germany), and were frozen immediately at −80 °C until assay (WBC in buffy-coat with and without Trizol reagent (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA) as described elsewhere [9,28,29]. …”