Typical mutations in children of radar soldiers

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The offspring of radar soldiers exposed to high doses of radiation during their service experience more genetic alterations than families without radiation exposure. 

This has been demonstrated in a pilot study by the research team involving Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), the Max Delbrück Centre for Molecular Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen (Netherlands) and the University Hospital Bonn, which has now been published in the journal ‘Scientific Reports’. The results of this pilot study will be reviewed in a larger scale study.

Until the 1980s, military radar systems were often inadequately shielded against spurious radiation emitted by radar amplifier tubes. Such rays can cause radiation damage to service and maintenance personnel. The persons involved have joined forces in the ‘Association for the support of persons harmed by radar beams‘. In 2003, a commission of experts made recommendations on compensatory payments. Since some children of former radar soldiers suffer from physical disabilities attributed to the radiation exposure of their fathers, their offspring are now in the spotlight. Whether radiation led to genotype damage in these children is debated.

Father's diet could affect the long-term health of his offspring

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New research has shown that a lack of protein in a father's diet affects sperm quality which can have a direct impact on the long-term health of their offspring.

The study -- 'Paternal diet programs offspring health through sperm- and seminal plasma-specific pathways in mice' -- carried out at the University of Nottingham fed male mice a poor quality diet which resulted in their offspring becoming over weight, with symptoms of type 2 diabetes and reduced expression of genes which regulate the metabolism of fat.

Researchers from the University of Nottingham's Schools of Medicine and Biosciences have published a report in PNAS showing that both sperm and the fluid they are carried in (seminal plasma) from male mice fed a low protein diet could affect the long-term metabolic health of their offspring.

There has been much research showing that sperm from men who are overweight, smoke, drink excessively or who have type 2 diabetes are often of poorer quality than sperm from healthy, fertile men. However, little is known about the impact of such lifestyle factors on the long-term health of a father's offspring. This new study bridges this gap in our understanding by using a mouse model to explore the long-term growth and metabolic health of offspring from males fed a poor quality diet.

Can a high-fat diet change breast milk makeup and affect baby's health?

credit: checkpregnancy.com

"New research suggests that following a high-fat diet during lactation—regardless of diet during pregnancy—alters RNA activity in breast milk. The changes in genetic material may increase the risk of metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes in offspring. The article is published ahead of print in Physiological Genomics.

RNA is a molecule chain that uses genetic information from DNA—the "genetic blueprint"—to produce proteins in the cells. RNA defects can play a role in potentially serious health conditions such as cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Previous studies have shown that offspring born to mothers who consumed a high-fat diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding are more likely to become obese and develop chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. However, less is known about the effects of a high-fat diet during lactation alone.

Researchers from Purdue University in Indiana studied two groups of pregnant mice. One group was given a high-fat diet during gestation and the other was fed a typical diet. The research team divided the newborn mice pups into four groups:

•     born to and fed by mothers that followed a high-fat diet;
•     born to mothers that followed a high-fat diet and fed by mothers that followed a typical diet;
•     born to typical-diet mothers and fed by high-fat-diet mothers; and
•     born to and fed by normal-diet mothers..."

Learn more: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-11-high-fat-diet-breast-makeup-affect.html#nRlv