Prenatal unhealthy diet, insulin‐like growth factor 2 gene (IGF2) methylation, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in youth with early‐onset conduct problems

Abstract

Background Conduct problems (CP) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are often comorbid and have each been linked to “unhealthy diet”. Early life diet also associates with DNA methylation of the insulin-like growth factor 2 gene (IGF2), involved in fetal and neural development. We investigated the degree to which prenatal high fat and sugar diet might relate to ADHD symptoms via IGF2 DNA methylation, for early-onset persistent (EOP) versus low CP youth. Methods Participants were 164 youth with EOP (n=83) versus low (n=81) CP drawn from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. We assessed if the inter-relationships between high fat and sugar diet (prenatal, postnatal), IGF2 methylation (birth and age 7, collected from blood) and ADHD symptoms (age 7–13) differed for EOP versus low CP youth. Results Prenatal “unhealthy diet” was positively associated with IGF2 methylation at birth for both the EOP and low CP youth. For EOP only: (i) higher IGF2 methylation predicted ADHD symptoms; and (ii) prenatal “unhealthy diet” associated with higher ADHD symptoms indirectly via higher IGF2 methylation. Conclusions Preventing “unhealthy diet” in pregnancy might reduce the risk of ADHD symptoms in EOP youth via lower offspring IGF2 methylation.

Dynamic Changes in DNA Methylation Occur during the First Year of Life in Preterm Infants

“…Alternative/additional explanations for the differences in DNA methylation between preterm and term infants in very early life could include the altered nutritional state of infants born preterm (37, 38); and/or glucocorticoid overexposure, since preterm infants experience both in utero exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids and significant early postnatal “stress.” In vivo and in vitro studies have shown that glucocorticoid exposure leads to stable DNA demethylation at these specific sites within the FKBP5 locus (20, 39), and several studies have now shown that exposure to trauma during childhood associates with allele-specific demethylation at FKBP5 in adulthood (20, 40). Although childhood abuse impacts on DNA methylation in carriers of the risk allele (20), we found no additional effects of the presence or absence of the risk allele.…”

Prenatal Diet and Childhood ADHD: Exploring the Potential Role of IGF2 Methylation

“…In a recent paper [8], we examined how exposure to unhealthy fats (e.g. vegetable oils in fast foods) and sugars (e.g.…”

Methylation matters: FK506 binding protein 51 (FKBP5) methylation moderates the associations ofFKBP5genotype and resistant attachment with stress regulation

“…Methylation can change the threedimensional formation of the chromatin (Li & Reinberg, 2011), and subsequently affect gene transcription. DNA methylation is thought to be influenced by prenatal (BouwlandBoth et al, 2015;Cao-Lei et al, 2014;Mychasiuk, Ilnytskyy, Kovalchuk, Kolb, & Gibb, 2011;Rijlaarsdam et al, 2017) and postnatal life events (Hughes et al, 2009;Mehta et al, 2013;Murgatroyd et al, 2009), as well as by genetic background. It can therefore be seen as the dynamic interface between genes and the environment (Meaney, 2010;Van IJzendoorn, Bakermans-Kranenburg, & Ebstein, 2011).…”