No abstract

BackgroundObesity during pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes for the offspring and mother. Lifestyle interventions in pregnancy such as antenatal exercise, are proposed to improve both short- and long-term health of mother and child. We hypothesise that regular moderate-intensity exercise during the second half of pregnancy will result in improved maternal and offspring outcomes, including a reduction in birth weight and adiposity in the offspring, which may be protective against obesity in later life.Methods/DesignThe IMPROVE (Improving Maternal and Progeny Risks of Obesity Via Exercise) study is a two-arm parallel randomised controlled clinical trial being conducted in Auckland, New Zealand. Overweight and obese women (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) aged 18–40 years, with a singleton pregnancy of <20 weeks of gestation, from the Auckland region, are eligible for the trial. Exclusion criteria are ongoing smoking or medical contra-indications to antenatal exercise.Participants are randomised with 1:1 allocation ratio to either intervention or control group, using computer-generated randomisation sequences in variable block sizes, stratified on ethnicity and parity, after completion of baseline assessments. The intervention consists of a 16-week structured home-based moderate-intensity exercise programme utilising stationary cycles and heart rate monitors, commencing at 20 weeks of gestation. The control group do not receive any exercise intervention. Both groups undergo regular fetal ultrasonography and receive standard antenatal care. Due to the nature of the intervention, participants are un-blinded to group assignment during the trial.The primary outcome is offspring birth weight. Secondary offspring outcomes include fetal and neonatal body composition and anthropometry, neonatal complications and cord blood metabolic markers. Maternal outcomes include weight gain, pregnancy and delivery complications, aerobic fitness, quality of life, metabolic markers and post-partum body composition.DiscussionThe results of this trial will provide valuable insights on the effects of antenatal exercise on health outcomes in overweight and obese mothers and their offspring.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12612000932864.

No abstract

PurposeMetabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease are strongly associated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), which causes substantial changes to normal circadian physiological functions, including metabolic pathways. Because core clock genes are known to be modulated by sleep/vigilance cycles, we asked whether the expression level of mRNA coding for clock genes is altered in non-treated OSAS patients and if it can be corrected by standard continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment.MethodsPeripheral blood was collected from male patients diagnosed with severe OSAS (apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 30/h) before and after treatment initiation. qPCR was used to measure mRNA levels of genes associated with the central circadian pacemaker including CLOCK, BMAL1, Cry1, Cry2, and three Period genes (Per 1, 2, 3) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).ResultsWe found statistically significant differences for CLOCK (p-value = 0.022) expression in PBMCs of OSAS patients which were not reverted by treatment with CPAP. We have also found a substantial decrease in the slow wave sleep (SWS) content in OSAS patients (p-value < 0.001) that, contrary to REM sleep, was not corrected by CPAP (p-value = 0.875).ConclusionCPAP treatment does not correct substantial changes in expression of core clock genes in OSAS patients. Because CPAP treatment is also unable to normalize the SWS in these patients, it is likely that additional therapeutic interventions that increase SWS content and complement the benefits of CPAP are required to more effectively reduce the known increased cardiovascular risk associated with OSAS patients.