Effects of maternal isocaloric diet containing different amounts of soy oil and extra virgin olive oil on weight, serum glucose, and lipid profile of female mice offspring

Background: Health status of offspring is programmed by maternal diet throughout gestation and lactation. The present study investigates the lasting effects of maternal supplementation with different amounts of soy oil or extra virgin olive oil [EVOO] on weight and biochemical parameters during gestation and lactation of female mice offspring

Methods: Eight weeks old female C57BL/6 mice [n=40] were assigned through simple randomization into four isocaloric dietary groups [16% of calories as soy oil [LSO] or EVOO [LOO] and 45% of calories as soy oil [HSO] or EVOO [HOO]] during three weeks of gestation and lactation. After weaning [at 3 weeks], all offspring received a diet containing 16% of calories as soy oil and were sacrificed at 6 weeks. Two-way ANOVA was used to adjust for confounding variables and repeated measures test for weight gain trend. Statistical analyses were performed with the IBM SPSS package

Results: At birth and adolescence, the weight of offspring was significantly higher in the soy oil than the olive oil groups [P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively]. Adolescence weight was significantly higher in the offspring born to mothers fed with 16% oil than those with 45% oil [P=0.001]. Serum glucose, triglyceride and total cholesterol were significantly higher in the LSO than LOO [P<0.001, P<0.001 and P<0.001], LSO than HSO [P<0.001, P=0.03 and P<0.001], and LOO than HOO [P<0.001, P<0.001 and P<0.001] dietary groups, respectively. Serum triglyceride and total cholesterol were significantly higher in the offspring of HSO than HOO fed mothers [P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively]

Conclusion: A maternal diet containing EVOO has better effects on birth weight, as well as weight and serum biochemical parameters in offspring at adolescence

Effects of exercise prior or during pregnancy in high fat diet fed mice alter bone gene expression of female offspring: an experimental study

Background: Based on different studies it was shown that exercise training is an important factor in preconception and prenatal care

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether regular preconception exercise training with or without exercise training during pregnancy decreases detrimental effects of maternal high fat diet on female offspring bone health

Materials and Methods: Twenty-four C57BL/6 female mice were fed high-fat diet [35%] and were randomly divided into four groups: trained in preconception period and exercised during pregnancy [TE]; trained in preconception periods but unexercised during pregnancy [TC]; untrained in preconception periods but exercised during pregnancy [CE]; untrained and unexercised [CC]. Trained mice were subjected to a protocol of moderate endurance exercise training over a period of 4 weeks before pregnancy. TE and CE Dams groups had access to wheels throughout pregnancy until delivery. Analyses were performed on the female offspring that did not have access to running wheels or exercise training during any portion of their lives. The relative expression levels of beta-catenin, Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor Y [PPARY], osteoprotegerin [OPG], and Receptor activator of nuclear factor NF-kB ligand [RANKL] were determined by Quantitative RT-PCR [qPCR]

Results: Exercise during pregnancy in isolation had no effect on any measure genes but exercise both before and during pregnancy affected all genes. Exercise only before pregnancy increased beta-catenin and OPG and decreased PPARY, RANKL, and RANKL/OPG ratio [p<0.001]

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that maternal exercise training before and during pregnancy may modulate the risk of bone disorders in offspring of mothers fed a high-fat diet