Epigenetic effects of male obesity on sperm and offspring

Abstract. While the influence of maternal environmental exposures on offspring long-term health is well recognized, paternal contributions are often overlooked. Recently, a growing body of evidence has revealed the relationship between paternal obesity and the phenotype of offspring. This review is...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Bio-X Research
Main Authors: Yin Zhou, Haiyan Wu, Hefeng Huang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2018-12-01
Online Access:http://journals.lww.com/10.1097/JBR.0000000000000023
Description
Summary:Abstract. While the influence of maternal environmental exposures on offspring long-term health is well recognized, paternal contributions are often overlooked. Recently, a growing body of evidence has revealed the relationship between paternal obesity and the phenotype of offspring. This review is focused on findings of the effects of paternal obesity upon sperm function and offspring health, and whether these effects can be reversed in human and animal studies. Furthermore, we also provide evidence that epigenetic modifications in sperm, including DNA methylation, chromatin histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs, are potential mechanistic candidates for intergenerational inheritance from father to offspring.
ISSN:2096-5672
2577-3585