Gestational Betaine, Liver Metabolism, and Epigenetics

Abstract

Betaine is a methyl donor and a substrate of methionine metabolism. It can donate methyl groups to most of methylation reactions in vivo. Diet low in betaine may greatly contribute to metabolic syndrome, lipid disorders, and diabetes. Recent research studies in the field of metabolic programming have demonstrated that betaine plays critical roles in fetal development and hepatic glucolipid metabolism via an array of complex mechanisms. Liver is a central metabolic organ, which is essential in the control of hepatic glucose, lipid, and cholesterol contents in order to maintain metabolic homeostasis in the whole body. The status of hepatic glucolipid metabolism at newborn stage will eventually affect adult health in a long term. Maternal nutrition programs neonatal hepatic metabolism through epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and miRNA-mediated post-transcriptional regulation. Betaine is of critical value in maternal nutritional programming. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the recent advances in studies on the role of maternal betaine on offspring hepatic lipid and glucose metabolism, especially during early life. We hope that this knowledge may shed lights on identifying novel prophylactic and therapeutic 1 strategies for metabolic disorders involving disrupted glucose and lipid homeo-stasis in human and animals.