新的研究表明產(chǎn)前遭遇饑荒會(huì)把饑荒的痕跡留在后代的基因上,，而且可能導(dǎo)致一些遺傳變化，這些遺傳變化會(huì)影響一個(gè)人進(jìn)入中年后的健康,。
Bastiaan Heijmans及其同事報(bào)告說(shuō),，在荷蘭的“饑餓冬天”——這是由第二次世界大戰(zhàn)期間荷蘭遭到大約6個(gè)月的食品禁運(yùn)導(dǎo)致的——受孕的兒童遇到了持續(xù)的有害健康效應(yīng)。這組作者發(fā)現(xiàn),，在受孕后的頭10周遇到饑荒的兒童的類(lèi)胰島素生長(zhǎng)因子II（IGF-2）基因上附著的甲基比他們的同性兄弟姐妹更少,。附著在一個(gè)基因上的甲基的數(shù)量控制著細(xì)胞合成蛋白質(zhì)的多少，這種控制被稱(chēng)為表觀(guān)遺傳學(xué),。在出生前的最后10周遭遇饑荒的兒童在IGF-2甲基化方面沒(méi)有顯示出任何差異,，這表明這些變化發(fā)生在產(chǎn)前發(fā)育的早期,。
這組作者說(shuō),，這些發(fā)現(xiàn)證明了從懷孕婦女到她們的未出生子女之間的涓滴效應(yīng)以及這種早期損傷的時(shí)間尺度。這組作者還說(shuō),，還需要進(jìn)一步的研究以確定IGF-2的表觀(guān)遺傳學(xué)變化是否影響發(fā)病率,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
PNAS October 27, 2008, doi: 10.1073/pnas.0806560105
Persistent epigenetic differences associated with prenatal exposure to famine in humans
Bastiaan T. Heijmans,1,2, Elmar W. Tobi,2, Aryeh D. Stein, Hein Putter, Gerard J. Blauw, Ezra S. Susser,f, P. Eline Slagboom, and L. H. Lumey,1
Abstract
Extensive epidemiologic studies have suggested that adult disease risk is associated with adverse environmental conditions early in development. Although the mechanisms behind these relationships are unclear, an involvement of epigenetic dysregulation has been hypothesized. Here we show that individuals who were prenatally exposed to famine during the Dutch Hunger Winter in 1944–45 had, 6 decades later, less DNA methylation of the imprinted IGF2 gene compared with their unexposed, same-sex siblings. The association was specific for periconceptional exposure, reinforcing that very early mammalian development is a crucial period for establishing and maintaining epigenetic marks. These data are the first to contribute empirical support for the hypothesis that early-life environmental conditions can cause epigenetic changes in humans that persist throughout life.
