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Circulating GLP-1 in infants born small-for-gestational-age: breast-feeding versus formula-feeding

International Journal of Obesity volume 39, pages 1501–1503 (2015)Cite this article

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Abstract

Prenatal growth restraint associates with the risk for later diabetes, particularly if such restraint is followed by postnatal formula-feeding (FOF) rather than breast-feeding (BRF). Circulating incretins can influence the neonatal programming of hypothalamic setpoints for appetite and energy expenditure, and are thus candidate mediators of the long-term effects exerted by early nutrition. We have tested this concept by measuring (at birth and at age 4 months) the circulating concentrations of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in BRF infants born appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA; n=63) and in small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants receiving either BRF (n=28) or FOF (n=26). At birth, concentrations of GLP-1 were similar in AGA and SGA infants. At 4 months, pre-feeding GLP-1 concentrations were higher than at birth; SGA-BRF infants had GLP-1 concentrations similar to those in AGA-BRF infants but SGA-FOF infants had higher concentrations. In conclusion, nutrition appears to influence the circulating GLP-1 concentrations in SGA infants and may thereby modulate long-term diabetes risk.

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Acknowledgements

This Study was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, by The Fondo Europeo de desarrollo Regional (FEDER), Madrid, Spain (PI11/0443) and by the research Foundation Sant Joan de Déu (AFR 00020). MD and LI are clinical investigators of CIBERDEM (www.ciberdem.org). JB is an investigator of the Miguel Servet Fund from Carlos III National Institute of Health, Spain. AL-B is an investigator of the 13 Fund for Scientific research (Ministry of Education and Science, Spain). FdZ is a clinical investigator supported by the Clinical Research Council of the University Hospital Leuven.

Author contributions

MD contributed to the study design and researched data; JB and SG researched data; AL-B contributed to discussion; LI contributed to the study design; FdZ contributed to the study design and wrote the manuscript. All the authors reviewed/edited the manuscript.

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Author notes

  1. L Ibáñez and F de Zegher: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Esplugues, Barcelona, Spain

    M Díaz, G Sebastiani & L Ibáñez

  2. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain

    M Díaz, G Sebastiani & L Ibáñez

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Josep Trueta Hospital, Girona, Spain

    J Bassols & A López-Bermejo

  4. Girona Institute for Biomedical Research, Girona, Spain

    J Bassols & A López-Bermejo

  5. Department of Development and Regeneration, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    F de Zegher

Authors
  1. M Díaz
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  2. J Bassols
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  3. G Sebastiani
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  4. A López-Bermejo
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  5. L Ibáñez
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  6. F de Zegher
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to L Ibáñez.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Supplementary Information accompanies this paper on International Journal of Obesity website

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Díaz, M., Bassols, J., Sebastiani, G. et al. Circulating GLP-1 in infants born small-for-gestational-age: breast-feeding versus formula-feeding. Int J Obes 39, 1501–1503 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2015.117

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2015.117

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