Paternal Resistance Training Induced Modifications in the Left Ventricle Proteome Independent of Offspring Diet

Abstract

Ancestral obesogenic exposure is able to trigger harmful effects in the offspring left ventricle (LV) which could lead to cardiovascular diseases. However, the impact of the father’s lifestyle on the offspring LV is largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 8 weeks of paternal resistance training (RT) on the offspring left ventricle (LV) proteome exposed to control or high-fat (HF) diet. Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups: sedentary fathers and trained fathers (8 weeks, 3 times per week with weights secured to the animals’ tails). The offspring were obtained by mating with sedentary females. Upon weaning, male offspring were divided into 4 groups (5 animals per group): offspring from sedentary fathers, exposed to control diet (SFO-C); offspring from trained fathers, exposed to control diet (TFO-C); offspring from sedentary fathers, exposed to high-fat diet (SFO-HF); and offspring from trained fathers, exposed to high-fat diet (TFO-HF). The LC-MS/MS analysis revealed 537 regulated proteins among groups. Offspring exposure to HF diet caused reduction in the abundance levels of proteins related to cell component organization, metabolic processes, and transport. Proteins related to antioxidant activity, transport, and transcription regulation were increased in TFO-C and TFO-HF as compared with the SFO-C and SFO-HF groups. Paternal RT demonstrated to be an important intervention capable of inducing significant effects on the LV proteome regardless of offspring diet due to the increase of proteins involved into LV homeostasis maintenance. This study contributes to a better understanding of the molecular aspects involved in transgenerational inheritance.

Paternal Resistance Training Modulates Calcaneal Tendon Proteome in the Offspring Exposed to High-Fat Diet

“…In animals models, adiponectin-deficient mice demonstrated a near-normal insulin sensitivity when fed with control diet, however, developed insulin resistance in skeletal muscle after 2 weeks of exposure to HF diet (Maeda et al, 2002). In the same experimental model, the area under the curve of blood glucose did not reveal significant differences between offspring groups (de Sousa Neto et al, 2020), which may be related to Wistar rats not responding pronouncedly to an HF diet when compared to other mouse strains. Future studies will be required to evaluate the link between changes of adiponectin and glucose uptake by tenocytes besides glucose transporters.…”

Impact of paternal exercise on physiological systems in the offspring

“…Some reports showed that voluntary wheel running in the fathers suppresses the detrimental effects of a paternal high fat (HF) diet on offspring, reducing the negative effects on fat mass and glucose uptake in different skeletal muscles, which could be an important intervention to prevent type 2 diabetes 21,25 . Current advances have introduced new opportunities to map the complex epigenetic mechanisms regarding paternal exercise 20,25,26 . Modifications in sperm provide a potential molecular basis to explain the contribution of the father's lifestyle 27,28 .…”

“…These epigenetic changes modulate cellular plasticity in the extra‐uterine environment, and might provide a survival advantage by regulating the differential genes that encode proteins involved in energy metabolism 25 . Sperm‐derived non‐coding RNA modifications induce changes in the chromatin structure and recruit transcriptional cofactors to DNA to regulate gene expression or genome activity, which might alter offspring proteomes 20 . These changes may reprogram the translational machinery, resulting in embryonic morphogenesis changes, and, subsequently, organ and tissue development in the offspring 27,28 …”

“…Two previous studies used 8 weeks, three times per week, with dynamic movements per climb on stair climbing apparatus. Exercise sessions consisted of 8 ladder climbs with two sets of each load of 50, 75, 90 and 100% of their maximal carrying capacity interspersed by 120 s intervals between each set 20,24 . An additional 30‐g load was added to maximal carrying capacity every week according to the overload principle.…”

“…The collected articles were categorized into six systems: Nervous system (six articles), 23,50,52,65,73,74 Endocrine and urinary system (four articles) 22,31,51,53 Musculoskeletal system (six articles), 21,24,25,51,64,75 Cardiovascular system and blood circulation (four articles), 20,22,25,51 and Fat tissue and body composition (six articles) 20‐22,24,25,51 …”