Male Rat Offspring Are More Impacted by Maternal Obesity Induced by Cafeteria Diet than Females-Additive Effect of Postweaning Diet

Sex-dependent susceptibility to brain metabolic dysfunction and memory impairment in response to pre and postnatal high-fat diet

The developing brain is sensitive to the impacts of early-life nutritional intake. This study investigates whether maternal high fat diet (HFD) causes glucose metabolism impairment, neuroinflammation, and memory impairment in immature and adult offspring, and whether it may be affected by postweaning diets in a sex-dependent manner in adult offspring. After weaning, female rats were fed HFD (55.9% fat) or normal chow diet (NCD; 10% fat) for 8 weeks before mating, during pregnancy, and lactation. On postnatal day 21 (PND21), the male and female offspring of both groups were split into two new groups, and NCD or HFD feeding was maintained until PND180. On PND21 and PND180, brain glucose metabolism, inflammation, and Alzheimer's pathology-related markers were by qPCR. In adult offspring, peripheral insulin resistance parameters, spatial memory performance, and brain glucose metabolism (18F-FDG-PET scan and protein levels of IDE and GLUT3) were assessed. Histological analysis was also performed on PND21 and adult offspring. On PND21, we found that maternal HFD affected transcript levels of glucose metabolism markers in both sexes. In adult offspring, more profoundly in males, postweaning HFD in combination with maternal HFD induced peripheral and brain metabolic disturbances, impaired memory performance and elevated inflammation, dementia risk markers, and neuronal loss. Our results suggest that maternal HFD affects brain glucose metabolism in the early ages of both sexes. Postweaning HFD sex-dependently causes brain metabolic dysfunction and memory impairment in later-life offspring; effects that can be worsened in combination with maternal HFD.

Maternal pregnancy diet quality, night eating, and offspring metabolic health: the GUSTO study

BACKGROUND

We investigated the understudied influence of maternal diet quality, food timing, and their interactions during pregnancy on offspring metabolic health.

METHODS

Maternal diet at 26-28 weeks' gestation was assessed using a 24-h recall and adherence to the modified-healthy-eating-index (HEI-SGP) reflects diet quality. Predominant night-eating (PNE) was defined as consuming >50% of total daily energy intake from 19:00 to 06:59. Outcomes were offspring composite metabolic syndrome score and its components measured at age 6 years. Multivariable linear regressions adjusted for relevant maternal and child covariates assessed associations of diet quality and PNE with these outcomes.

RESULTS

Up to 758 mother-child pairs were included. The mean(SD) maternal HEI-SGP score was 52.3(13.7) points (theoretical range: 0-100) and 15% of the mothers demonstrated PNE. Maternal diet quality showed inverse relationship with offspring Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) [β(95% CI): -0.08(-0.15, -0.02) per-10-point HEI-SGP increment; P = 0.012]. Maternal PNE was associated with a higher offspring HOMA-IR [0.28(0.06, 0.50); P = 0.012], with similar estimates after adjustment for children's BMI and diet quality; the association was stronger for boys (P-interaction<0.001) and among mothers with lower diet quality (

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal PNE and low dietary quality were associated with a higher level of insulin resistance in early childhood, especially among boys.

IMPACT

We demonstrated that maternal predominant night-eating behavior and low-quality diet are associated with higher offspring insulin resistance. Maternal low-quality diet and predominant night-eating behavior synergistically interact to influence offspring insulin resistance, particularly among boys. While maternal diet quality and food timing impact the mother's health, their influence on offspring long-term health outcomes through developmental programming is not well understood. Our findings highlight the significance of maternal food timing and calls for further studies on its influence on child health through developmental programming. Targeting both dietary quality and food timing during pregnancy could be a promising intervention strategy.

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Affiliation(s)

Ling-Wei Chen Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, No. 17 Xu-Zhou Road, Taipei, 10055, Taiwan. Master of Public Health Program, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, No. 17 Xu-Zhou Road, Taipei, 10055, Taiwan. A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, 117609, Singapore, Singapore.
See Ling Loy Department of Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
Mya Thway Tint A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, 117609, Singapore, Singapore Human Potential Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Navin Michael A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, 117609, Singapore, Singapore
Yi Ying Ong Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Jia Ying Toh A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, 117609, Singapore, Singapore
Peter D Gluckman Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, 85 Park Rd, Grafton, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
Kok Hian Tan Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore, 169857, Singapore Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, 100 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore, 229899, Singapore
Yap-Seng Chong A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, 117609, Singapore, Singapore Human Potential Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
Keith M Godfrey MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre & NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton & University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Tremona Road, SO16 6YD, Southampton, UK
Johan G Eriksson A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, 117609, Singapore, Singapore Human Potential Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, 00290, Helsinki, Finland Folkhälsan Research Center, Topeliusgatan 20, 00250, Helsinki, Finland
Fabian Yap Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore, 169857, Singapore Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, 100 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore, 229899, Singapore
Yung Seng Lee A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, 117609, Singapore, Singapore Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore Khoo Teck Puat- National University Children's Medical Institute, National University Health System, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
Mary F F Chong A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, 117609, Singapore, Singapore Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, 12 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117549, Singapore

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Chronic consumption of imbalance diets high in sucrose or fat induces abdominal obesity with different pattern of metabolic disturbances and lost in Langerhans cells population

AIM

Obesity is a worldwide health issue, associated with development of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of consumption of two hypercaloric diets on metabolic disturbance and beta cells damage.

MAIN METHODS

Male Wistar rats were subjected to twelve months consumption of three diets: a Control balanced diet (CTD, carbohydrates 58 %, proteins 29 %, lipids 13 %) and two hypercaloric diets, high in sucrose (HSD, carbohydrates 68 %, proteins 22 %, lipids 10 %) or high in fat (HFD, carbohydrates 31 %, proteins 14 %, lipids 55 %). Serum levels of glucose, triglycerides and free fatty acids were measured after zoometric parameters determination. Antioxidant enzymes activity and oxidative stress-marker were measured in pancreas tissue among histological analysis of Langerhans islets.

KEY FINDINGS

Although diets were hypercaloric, the amount of food consumed by rats decreased, resulting in an equal caloric consumption. The HSD induced hypertriglyceridemia and hyperglycemia with higher levels in free fatty acids (FFA, lipotoxicity); whereas HFD did not increased neither the triglycerides nor FFA, nevertheless the loss of islets' cell was larger. Both diets induced obesity with hyperglycemia and significant reduction in Langerhans islets size.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our results demonstrate that consumption of HSD induces more significant metabolic disturbances that HFD, although both generated pancreas damage; as well hypercaloric diet consumption is not indispensable to becoming obese; the chronic consumption of unbalanced diets (rich in carbohydrates or lipids) may lead to abdominal obesity with metabolic and functional disturbances, although the total amount of calories are similar.

Maternal Weight Intervention in the Perinatal Period Improves Liver Health in the Offspring of Mothers with Obesity

Early-life exposure to maternal obesity predisposes offspring to metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). This study aimed to determine if peripartum weight loss, either through dietary intervention or pharmacological intervention, improved adverse liver health outcomes in the offspring of mothers with obesity. C57Bl/6 dams were fed a chow diet or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks. HFD-fed mice either continued HFD, transitioned to a chow diet, or were administered liraglutide for 4 weeks. Pregnancy was induced following a one-week washout of liraglutide during which all animals remained on their respective diets. A proportion of HFD-fed mice transitioned to a chow diet during pregnancy. All offspring were weaned to the HFD. Offspring anthropometric, metabolic, and hepatic outcomes were assessed at postnatal week 12. The offspring of mothers with obesity had phenotypic changes consistent with MAFLD. The offspring of mothers that had weight loss with perinatal dietary intervention had reduced insulin resistance (p < 0.001) and hepatic expression of markers of inflammation (p < 0.001), oxidative stress (p < 0.05), and fibrosis (p < 0.05). A similar phenotype was observed in the offspring of mothers with pre-pregnancy weight loss via liraglutide despite ongoing consumption of the HFD during pregnancy. All methods and timing of maternal weight intervention were effective at ameliorating adverse liver effects in the offspring.

Maternal pea fiber supplementation to a high calorie diet in obese pregnancies protects male offspring from metabolic dysfunction in adulthood

We investigated the influence of maternal yellow-pea fiber supplementation in obese pregnancies on offspring metabolic health in adulthood. Sixty newly-weaned female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to either a low-calorie control diet (CON) or high calorie obesogenic diet (HC) for 6-weeks. Obese animals were then fed either the HC diet alone or the HC diet supplemented with yellow-pea fiber (HC + FBR) for an additional 4-weeks prior to breeding and throughout gestation and lactation. On postnatal day (PND) 21, 1 male and 1 female offspring from each dam were weaned onto the CON diet until adulthood (PND 120) for metabolic phenotyping. Adult male, but not female, HC offspring demonstrated increased body weight and feed intake vs CON offspring, however no protection was offered by maternal FBR supplementation. HC male and female adult offspring demonstrated increased serum glucose and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) compared with CON offspring. Maternal FBR supplementation improved glycemic control in male, but not female offspring. Compared with CON offspring, male offspring from HC dams demonstrated marked dyslipidemia (higher serum cholesterol, increased number of TG-rich lipoproteins, and smaller LDL particles) which was largely normalized in offspring from HC + FBR mothers. Male offspring born to obese mothers (HC) had higher hepatic TG, which tended to be lowered (p = 0.07) by maternal FBR supplementation.Supplementation of a maternal high calorie diet with yellow-pea fiber in prepregnancy and throughout gestation and lactation protects male offspring from metabolic dysfunction in the absence of any change in body weight status in adulthood.

Thermoneutral Housing Enables Studies of Vertical Transmission of Obesogenic Diet-Driven Metabolic Diseases

Vertical transmission of obesity is a critical contributor to the unabated obesity pandemic and the associated surge in metabolic diseases. Existing experimental models insufficiently recapitulate "human-like" obesity phenotypes, limiting the discovery of how severe obesity in pregnancy instructs vertical transmission of obesity. Here, via utility of thermoneutral housing and obesogenic diet feeding coupled to syngeneic mating of WT obese female and lean male mice on a C57BL/6 background, we present a tractable, more "human-like" approach to specifically investigate how maternal obesity contributes to offspring health. Using this model, we found that maternal obesity decreased neonatal survival, increased offspring adiposity, and accelerated offspring predisposition to obesity and metabolic disease. We also show that severe maternal obesity was sufficient to skew offspring microbiome and create a proinflammatory gestational environment that correlated with inflammatory changes in the offspring in utero and adulthood. Analysis of a human birth cohort study of mothers with and without obesity and their infants was consistent with mouse study findings of maternal inflammation and offspring weight gain propensity. Together, our results show that dietary induction of obesity in female mice coupled to thermoneutral housing can be used for future mechanistic interrogations of obesity and metabolic disease in pregnancy and vertical transmission of pathogenic traits.

Uterine dynamics, blood profiles, and electronic fetal monitoring of primiparous and multiparous bitches classified according to their weight

Perinatal mortality occurs in all species. In dogs, mortality rates have been reported to range from 5 to 35%. Electronic fetal and uterine monitoring has recently been used in domestic animals to monitor the mother and newborn before and during parturition. In this way, the fetal heart rate and uterine dynamics can be monitored. This study evaluated the uterine dynamics of bitches with different weights and parity. Ninety-six bitches and their 476 puppies were divided into four experimental groups containing 24 individuals each (12 primiparous bitches and 12 multiparous bitches), according to body weight: G1 (4-8 kg), G2 (8.1-16 kg), G3 (16.1 to 32 kg), and G4 (32.1 to 39.6 kg). The fetal heart rate decelerations (dip 2 patterns), uterine dynamics, and bitches' blood profiles were evaluated, including levels of glucose, lactate, pCO2, pO2, pH, HCO3-, and Ca++. The dam weight can affect the vitality of newborns and the uterine dynamics, with differences in the frequency, intensity, and duration of myometrial contractions. The expulsion interval between puppies was longest in primiparous bitches with low weight and shortest in multiparous bitches with high weight. The expulsion interval and the number of stillborn females were higher in primiparous bitches with high weight. Newborn male puppies were significantly heavier than newborn females.

Comparison of maternal versus postweaning ingestion of a high fat, high sucrose diet on depression-related behavior, novelty reactivity, and corticosterone levels in young, adult rat offspring

Consumption of a Western-type diet, high in fat and sugar, by mothers as well as maternal weight gain and obesity during gestation and lactation may impact offspring risk for mood and cognitive disorders. The objective of this study was to determine if ingestion of a high fat, high sucrose (HFS) diet by rat dams during gestation and lactation or by their pups after weaning impacted these behaviors and stress responsivity in young, adult offspring. To accomplish this, dams consumed either a 45% fat/high sucrose (HFS) diet or the AIN93G control diet during gestation and lactation. At weaning, pups from dams that consumed the HFS diet were weaned to the control diet. Pups from dams assigned to the control diet were weaned to either the control or HFS diet. Pup behavioral testing began at 10 weeks of age. Pups whose dams consumed the HFS diet during gestation and lactation exhibited increased depression-related behavior and baseline serum corticosterone levels, but no difference in peak levels in response to stress. Male pups of these dams displayed increased working memory during acquisition of the holeboard task and tended to exhibit more anxiety-related behavior in the elevated O-maze test. Regardless of when consumed, the HFS diet increased novelty reactivity in the open field test. These data indicate that diet but not maternal weight gain during gestation impacts offspring behavior and elevates stress hormone levels. Also, regardless of when consumed, the HFS diet increases novelty reactivity, a risk factor for depression and addiction.

The Effect of Maternal Exposure to a Diet High in Fats and Cholesterol on the Placental Function and Phenotype of the Offspring in a Rabbit Model: A Summary Review of About 15 Years of Research

The rates of obesity and being overweight are increasing all around the world, especially among women of childbearing age, in part due to overconsumption of lipids. The aim of this summary review was to present the cellular and molecular effects of a hyperlipidic high-cholesterol (H) diet on the maternal and offspring phenotype at the early embryonic, neonatal, weaning and adult stages while considering the effects of sex and to identify the window(s) of vulnerability linked to this exposure in a rabbit model. Before breeding, the H diet induced dyslipidemia and aortic atherosclerosis lesions and increased the number of atretic follicles. In the offspring, the H diet disrupted the embryonic phenotype and induced fetal hypotrophy associated with sex-specific disturbances of the feto-placental unit. In adulthood, the offspring of the H dams were heavier and hyperphagic and had increased blood pressure associated with disturbed gonadal development in both sexes. Vulnerability windows were explored via embryo transfers. The maternal gestational diet was shown to play a key role in the feto-placental phenotype, and preconception programming was unquestionably also observed. These two periods could represent windows of intervention in the context of obesity or being overweight to limit fetal and placental consequences.

Taurine supplementation reduces adiposity and hepatic lipid metabolic activity in adult offspring following maternal cafeteria diet

Maternal taurine supplementation has been shown to exert protective effects following a maternal obesogenic diet on offspring growth and metabolism. However, the long-term effects of maternal cafeteria diet on adiposity, metabolic profile, and hepatic gene expression patterns following supplementation of taurine in adult offspring remains unclear. In this study, we hypothesized that exposure to maternal taurine supplementation would modulate the effects of maternal cafeteria diet by reducing adiposity and hepatic gene expression patterns involved in lipid metabolism in adult offspring. Female Wistar rats were fed a control diet, control diet supplemented with 1.5% taurine in drinking water, cafeteria diet (CAF) or CAF supplemented with taurine (CAFT) from weaning. After 8 weeks, all animals were mated and maintained on the same diets during pregnancy and lactation. After weaning, all offspring were fed with control chow diet until the age of 20 weeks. Despite similar body weights, CAFT offspring had significantly lower fat deposition and body fat when compared with CAF offspring. Microarray analysis revealed that genes (Akr1c3, Cyp7a1, Hsd17b6, Cd36, Acsm3, and Aldh1b1) related to steroid hormone biosynthesis, cholesterol metabolism, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling pathway, butanoate metabolism, and fatty acid degradation were down-regulated in CAFT offspring. The current study shows that exposure to maternal cafeteria diet promoted adiposity and taurine supplementation reduced lipid deposition and in both male and female offspring and led to alterations in hepatic gene expression patterns, reducing the detrimental effects of maternal cafeteria diet.

Binge eating, overeating and food addiction: Approaches for examining food overconsumption in laboratory rodents

Overeating ranges in severity from casual overindulgence to an overwhelming drive to consume certain foods. At its most extreme, overeating can manifest as clinical diagnoses such as binge eating disorder or bulimia nervosa, yet subclinical forms of overeating such as emotional eating or uncontrolled eating can still have a profoundly negative impact on health and wellbeing. Although rodent models cannot possibly capture the full spectrum of disordered overeating, studies in laboratory rodents have substantially progressed our understanding of the neurobiology of overconsumption. These experimental approaches range from simple food-exposure protocols that promote binge-like eating and the development of obesity, to more complex operant procedures designed to examine distinct 'addiction-like' endophenotypes for food. This review provides an overview of these experimental approaches, with the view to providing a comprehensive resource for preclinical investigators seeking to utilize behavioural models for studying the neural systems involved in food overconsumption.

Maternal high-fat diet alters the neurobehavioral, biochemical and inflammatory parameters of their adult female rat offspring

BACKGROUND

Lipid metabolism dysregulations have been associated with depressive and anxious behaviors which can affect pregnant and lactating individuals, with indications that such changes extend to the offspring. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a maternal high-fat diet on the neurobehavioral, biochemical and inflammatory parameters of their adult female offspring.

METHODS

Wistar rats ± 90 days old were mated. The dams were allocated to consume a control (CTL) or high-fat (HFD) diet during pregnancy and lactation. After weaning, the female offspring from the CTL (N=10) and HFD (N=10) groups received standard chow. The offspring behavioral tests were started at 120 days old. Then, the somatic measures were evaluated followed by euthanasia, histological and biochemical analyses.

RESULTS

The HFD group had less ambulation and longer immobility time in the open field test compared to the CTL. The HFD group had lower HDL (48.4%) and a higher adiposity (71.8%) and LDL (62.2%) than the CTL. The CTL had a higher organic acid concentration in the intestine, mainly acetic and butyric acids, however the HFD had a higher citric and acetic acid concentration in the brain and ischemic lesion in the hippocampus with a higher NF-κB concentration.

CONCLUSION

The results demonstrate deleterious effects of a maternal HFD on the neurobehavioral and biochemical parameters of their offspring which may be associated with the role of organic acids and NF-κB in fetal programming.

Early Intervention of Elateriospermum tapos Yoghurt in Obese Dams Mitigates Intergenerational Cognitive Deficits and Thigmotactic Behaviour in Male Offspring via the Modulation of Metabolic Profile

Maternal obesity is an intergenerational vicious cycle and one of the primary causes of cognitive deficits and high anxiety levels in offspring, which often manifest independently of sex. It is proven that curbing the intergenerational inheritance of obesity through early intervention during the gestation period has a positive outcome on the body composition, cognitive function, and anxiety level of the offspring. A recent discovery shows that the consumption of Elateriospermum tapos (E. tapos) seed extract modulates body mass and ameliorates stress hormones in obese dams, while a probiotic bacterial strain can cross the placenta and boost a child's memory. Thus, we speculate that probiotics are the best medium to integrate plant extract (E. tapos extract) to access the effect on the child's cognition. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the early intervention of E. tapos yoghurt in obese dams in the cognition and anxiety levels of male offspring. In this study, 40 female rats were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) to induce obesity before pregnancy, while another 8 rats were fed with standard rat pellets for 16 weeks. Upon successful copulation, treatment was initiated for the obese dams up to the postnatal day (PND) 21. The groups included normal chow and saline (NS), HFD and saline (HS), HFD and yoghurt (HY), HFD and 5 mg/kg E. tapos yoghurt (HYT5), HFD and 50 mg/kg E. tapos yoghurt (HYT50), and HFD and 500 mg/kg E. tapos yoghurt (HYT500). All rats were euthanised on PND 21, and the body mass index (BMI), Lee index, and waist circumference were measured for the male offspring. Hippocampal-dependent memory tests and open field tests were conducted to access for cognition and anxiety status. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), total fat (%), insulin, leptin, lipid profile, and antioxidant parameter on serum and hypothalamus (FRAP and GSH) were accessed on PND 21. The result shows male offspring of 50 mg/kg-supplemented obese dams have comparable total fat (%), lipid profile, insulin level, FBG level, plasma insulin level, recognition index, low anxiety level, and improved hypothalamic FRAP and GSH levels to the normal group. In conclusion, this study highlights that the effect of early intervention of our novel formulation of E. tapos yoghurt in obese dams alleviates cognitive deficits and anxiety in male offspring by modulating metabolic profiles at the dose of 50 mg/kg.

Maternal preconceptional inflammation transgenerationally alters metabolic and behavioral phenotypes in offspring

AIMS

Evidence is accumulating that maternal inflammation induces phenotypic changes in the next generation. However, whether maternal preconceptional inflammation alters metabolic and behavioral phenotypes in offspring remains poorly understood.

MAIN METHODS

Female mice were injected with either lipopolysaccharide or saline to establish the inflammatory model and then allowed to mate with normal males. Offspring from both control and inflammatory dams were subsequently given chow diet and water ad libitum, without any challenge, for metabolic and behavioral tests.

KEY FINDINGS

Male offspring derived from inflammatory mothers (Inf-F1) maintained on the chow diet developed impaired glucose tolerance and hepatic ectopic fat deposition. Hepatic transcriptome sequencing showed the largest gene changes related to the metabolic pathway. Moreover, Inf-F1 mice exhibited anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and were accompanied by higher serum corticosterone concentration and lower glucocorticoid receptor abundance in the hippocampus.

SIGNIFICANCE

The results expand the current knowledge of developmental programming of health and disease to include maternal preconceptional health and provide a basis for understanding metabolic and behavioral alterations in offspring linked to maternal inflammation.

A Maternal High-Fat Diet Causes Anxiety-Related Behaviors by Altering Neuropeptide Y1 Receptor and Hippocampal Volumes in Rat Offspring: the Potential Effect of N-Acetylcysteine

The children of obese mothers are known to have a high risk of obesity and metabolic disease and are prone to developing cognitive deficits, although the underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood. This study investigated the relationship between neuropeptide Y1 receptor (NPY1R) and anxiety-like behaviors in the hippocampi of male rat offspring exposed to maternal obesity and the potential neuroprotective effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC). A maternal obesity model was created using a high-fat (60% k/cal) diet. NAC (150 mg/kg) was administered by intragastric gavage for 25 days in both the NAC and obesity + NAC (ObNAC) groups. All male rat offspring were subjected to behavioral testing on postnatal day 28, the end of the experiment. Stereological analysis was performed on hippocampal sections, while NPY1R expression was determined using immunohistochemical methods. Stereological data indicated significant decreases in the total volume of the hippocampus and CA1 and dentate gyrus (DG) regions in the obese (Ob) group (p < 0.01). Decreased NPY1R expression was observed in the Ob group hippocampus (p < 0.01). At behavioral assessments, the Ob group rats exhibited increased anxiety and less social interaction, although the ObNAC group rats exhibited stronger responses than the Ob group (p < 0.01). The study results show that NAC attenuated anxiety-like behaviors and NPY1R expression and also protected hippocampal volume against maternal obesity. The findings indicate that a decrease in NPY1R-positive neurons in the hippocampus of male rats due to maternal conditions may be associated with increased levels of anxiety and a lower hippocampal volume. Additionally, although there is no direct evidence, maintenance of NPY1R expression by NAC may be critical for regulating maternal obesity-induced anxiety-related behaviors and hippocampal structure.

Maternal Pea Protein Intake Provides Sex-Specific Protection against Dyslipidemia in Offspring from Obese Pregnancies

Increased consumption of dietary pulse protein has been shown to assist in body weight regulation and improve a range of metabolic health outcomes. We investigated if the exchange of casein for yellow pea protein (YPPN) in an obese-inducing maternal diet throughout pregnancy and lactation offered protection against obesity and dyslipidemia in offspring. Sixty female Sprague Dawley rats were fed a low-calorie control diet (CON), a high-caloric obesity-inducing diet (with casein protein (CP), HC-CP), or an isocaloric/macronutrient-matched HC diet supplemented with YPPN isolate (HC-PPN) in pre-pregnancy, gestation, and lactation. Body weight (BW) and metabolic outcomes were assessed in male and female offspring at weaning and in adulthood after consuming the CON diet in the postnatal period. Consumption of the HC-PPN diet did not protect against maternal obesity but did improve reproductive success compared with the HC-CP group (72.7% versus 43.7%) and reduced total energy, fat, and protein in maternal milk. Male, but not female, offspring from mothers fed the HC-CP diet demonstrated hyperphagia, obesity, dyslipidemia, and hepatic triglyceride (TG) accumulation as adults compared with CON offspring. Isocaloric exchange of CP for YPPN in a high-calorie obese-inducing diet did not protect against obesity but did improve several aspects of lipid metabolism in adult male offspring including serum total cholesterol, LDL/VLDL cholesterol, triglycerides (TGs), and hepatic TG concentration. Our results suggest that the exchange of CP for YPPN in a maternal obese-inducing diet selectively protects male offspring from the malprogramming of lipid metabolism in adulthood.

The Benefits of Switching to a Healthy Diet on Metabolic, Cognitive, and Gut Microbiome Parameters Are Preserved in Adult Rat Offspring of Mothers Fed a High-Fat, High-Sugar Diet

SCOPE

Maternal obesity increases the risk of health complications in children, highlighting the need for effective interventions. A rat model of maternal obesity to examine whether a diet switch intervention could reverse the adverse effects of an unhealthy postweaning diet is used.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Male and female offspring born to dams fed standard chow or a high-fat, high-sugar "cafeteria" (Caf) diet are weaned onto chow or Caf diets until 22 weeks of age, when Caf-fed groups are switched to chow for 5 weeks. Adiposity, gut microbiota composition, and place recognition memory are assessed before and after the switch. Body weight and adiposity fall in switched groups but remain significantly higher than chow-fed controls. Nonetheless, the diet switch improves a deficit in place recognition memory observed in Caf-fed groups, increases gut microbiota species richness, and alters β diversity. Modeling indicate that adiposity most strongly predicts gut microbiota composition before and after the switch.

CONCLUSION

Maternal obesity does not alter the effects of switching diet on metabolic, microbial, or cognitive measures. Thus, a healthy diet intervention lead to major shifts in body weight, adiposity, place recognition memory, and gut microbiota composition, with beneficial effects preserved in offspring born to obese dams.

Diet Modification before or during Pregnancy on Maternal and Foetal Outcomes in Rodent Models of Maternal Obesity

The obesity epidemic has serious implications for women of reproductive age; its rising incidence is associated not just with health implications for the mother but also has transgenerational ramifications for the offspring. Increased incidence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and kidney disease are seen in both the mothers and the offspring. Animal models, such as rodent studies, are fundamental to studying maternal obesity and its impact on maternal and offspring health, as human studies lack rigorous controlled experimental design. Furthermore, the short and prolific reproductive potential of rodents enables examination across multiple generations and facilitates the exploration of interventional strategies to mitigate the impact of maternal obesity, both before and during pregnancy. Given that obesity is a major public health concern, it is important to obtain a greater understanding of its pathophysiology and interaction with reproductive health, placental physiology, and foetal development. This narrative review focuses on the known effects of maternal obesity on the mother and the offspring, and the benefits of interventional strategies, including dietary intervention, before or during pregnancy on maternal and foetal outcomes. It further examines the contribution of rodent models of maternal obesity to elucidating pathophysiological pathways of disease development, as well as methods to reduce the impact of obesity on the mothers and the developing foetus. The translation of these findings into the human experience will also be discussed.

The influence of maternal unhealthy diet on maturation of offspring gut microbiota in rat

Background

Despite well-known effects of diet on gut microbiota diversity, relatively little is known about how maternal diet quality shapes the longitudinal maturation of gut microbiota in offspring. To investigate, we fed female rats standard chow (Chow) or a western-style, high-choice cafeteria diet (Caf) prior to and during mating, gestation and lactation. At weaning (3 weeks), male and female offspring were either maintained on their mother’s diet (ChowChow, CafCaf groups) or switched to the other diet (ChowCaf, CafChow). Fecal microbial composition was assessed in dams and longitudinally in offspring at 3, 7 and 14 weeks of age.

Results

The effect of maternal diet on maturation of offspring gut microbiota was assessed by α- and β-diversities, Deseq2/LEfSe, and SourceTracker analyses. Weanling gut microbiota composition was characterised by reduced α- and β-diversity profiles that clustered away from dams and older siblings. After weaning, offspring gut microbiota came to resemble an adult-like gut microbiota, with increased α-diversity and reduced dissimilarity of β-diversity. Similarly, Deseq2/LEfSe analyses found fewer numbers of altered operational taxonomic units (OTUs) between groups from weaning to adulthood. SourceTracker analyses indicated a greater overall contribution of Caf mothers’ microbial community (up to 20%) to that of their offspring than the contribution of Chow mothers (up to 8%). Groups maintained on the maternal diet (ChowChow, CafCaf), versus those switched to the other diet (ChowCaf, CafChow) post-weaning significantly differed from each other at 14 weeks (Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance), indicating interactive effects of maternal and post-weaning diet on offspring gut microbiota maturation. Nevertheless, this developmental trajectory was unaffected by sex and appeared consistent between ChowChow, CafCaf, ChowCaf and CafChow groups.

Conclusions

Introducing solid food at weaning triggered the maturation of offspring gut microbiota to an adult-like profile in rats, in line with previous human studies. Postweaning Caf diet exposure had the largest impact on offspring gut microbiota, but this was modulated by maternal diet history. An unhealthy maternal Caf diet did not alter the developmental trajectory of offspring gut microbiota towards an adult-like profile, insofar as it did not prevent the age-associated increase in α-diversity and reduction in β-diversity dissimilarity.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s42523-022-00185-w.