Increased risk of metabolic disease in offspring rats due to maternal high fat diet / 临床儿科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objectives To examine the association of the maternal high-fat (HF) diet with increased susceptibility to obe-sity and the development of metabolic diseases in their offspring, and observe difference in the effect of maternal vs. acquired high fat diet on metabolic state in their offspring. Methods A total of 15 SD female rats were divided into HF diet group (group H, n=9) and control diet group (group C, n=6). After fed on different diet for seven weeks, they were mated at the age of ten weeks and became pregnant. Their offspring were then divided to groups CH and HH fed HF diet and groups CC and HC fed control diet. At the age of 3 and 8 weeks, the metabolic markers and the liver pathohistological evidences of their offspring were obtained. Results The body weight, area under curve (AUC) of glucose tolerance, cholesterol and triglyceride were all higher in group H than those in group C (P0.05). At the age of 8 weeks, there was no difference in fasting glucose and insulin levels among the four offspring groups. The AUC and body weight were higher in group H than in group C (main effect of maternal diet, P=0.024, P=0.013). The AUCs were also higher in groups CH and HH than groups CC and HC respectively (main effect of acquired diet, P=0.041). The levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL at the age of 8 weeks were all higher in HH and CH groups than those in HC and CC groups (main effect of acquired diet, P=0.008, 0.007, 0.000, respectively). Their histological analysis at 8 weeks showed different degrees of fatty liver in HH, HC and CH groups, and normal liver in CC group. Conclusions Maternal HF diet may result in increased body weight, fatty liver and impaired glucose tolerance in their adult offspring, and thus increase the risk of developing metabolic diseases at their later age. .