Intergenerational Cross-Talk: Maternal Circadian Disruption and Offspring Metabolic Health

Early-life environmental conditions play a pivotal role in fetal development and long-term health. Exposure to light pollution and an irregular daily routine could disrupt gestational circadian homeostasis, programming a suboptimal intrauterine environment. Accumulating evidence indicates that perturbation of the circadian rhythm during pregnancy could increase the risk of deleterious consequences in later life, particularly adverse metabolic outcomes in offspring. In this review, we outline recent advances regarding the effects of gestational circadian disruption on offspring glucolipid metabolism. Gestational circadian rhythm disturbance may influence fetal metabolic programming through alterations in circadian clock-related gene expression, hormone levels, metabolite profiles, inflammatory states, and epigenetic regulation. Targeting the intergenerational cross-talk may hold promise for the prevention of offspring metabolic disorders elicited by maternal circadian rhythm perturbation.