A recent study conducted by Helmholtz Munich and the German Center for Diabetes Research reveals that the diet of future fathers can significantly affect the health of their children, even before conception. This discovery could pave the way for new preventive health measures for men wishing to become fathers.
The research team led by Dr. Raffaele Teperino, head of the "Environmental Epigenetics" research group at Helmholtz Munich, examined the influence of paternal diet and obesity on children's health. They focused on specific RNA molecules present in sperm, called mitochondrial tRNA fragments (mt-tsRNAs). These RNAs play a key role in regulating gene expression and transmitting health characteristics.
For this study, the researchers used data from over 3000 families from the LIFE-Child study at the University of Leipzig. The analyses showed that a father's weight influences the weight of their children and their susceptibility to developing metabolic diseases. This impact exists independently of other factors such as the mother's weight, parental genetics, or environmental conditions.
To verify their results, the team conducted experiments on mice fed a high-fat diet. This diet affected the animals' reproductive organs, including the epididymis, where sperm mature. "Our study shows that sperm exposed to a high-fat diet in the epididymis of mice lead to offspring with an increased tendency toward metabolic diseases," explains Raffaele Teperino.
To deepen these results, the researchers conducted additional laboratory studies using in vitro fertilization. By using sperm from mice that had been on a high-fat diet, they found mt-tsRNAs in early embryos, significantly influencing gene expression. This impacts the development and health of the offspring. "This is the first time we have observed such a transgenerational molecular connection," claims Raffaele Teperino.
The results of this study strengthen the hypothesis that acquired characteristics, such as diabetes or obesity, can be transmitted through epigenetic mechanisms across multiple generations. Epigenetics serves as a molecular link between the environment and the genome, not only through the maternal lineage but also, as this research shows, through the paternal lineage. Professor Martin Hrabě de Angelis, co-author of the study and research director at Helmholtz Munich, explains that these findings highlight the importance of paternal health before conception.
Article author: Cédric Depond