The role of microRNAs in metabolic alterations promoted by diet-induced obesity or maternal obesity

Abstract

Obesity, defined as chronically unbalanced energy intake relative to its expenditure, resulting in lipid accumulation in adipose tissue, is a multifactorial disease, influenced by genetic, environmental and behavioral factors. Although diet and sedentarism, risk factor for obesity, are modifiable factors, others factors are no-modifiable, such as genetics factors, or as animal's studies have suggested, epigenetics mechanisms programmed in utero. Compelling evidences suggests microRNAs, small non-coding RNAS, are important in the development of obesity, both from maternal inheritance or diet-induced. Moreover, studies with humans and murines has shown therapeutic strategies, such as aerobic physical exercise, modulate circulating microRNAs and in adipose tissue. In light of this, using two models of obesity, diet-induced or maternal inheritance, our aim is to study the participation of microRNAs in the development of obesity. Aerobic training will be used in the second part of the study so that we might understand the participation of microRNAs in strategies that mitigate obesity. The results obtained in the present project will contribute to our better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of obesity, and will suggest microRNAs as targets for therapeutic intervention in obesity (AU)