Effects of maternal high-fat diet on liver fatty acid metabolism-related gene expression in the early life of rat offspring / 临床儿科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the impact of maternal high-fat diet during pregnancy and lactation on hepatic steatosis in the early life of offspring rats and its possible mechanism. Methods Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either a high fat diet (HF) or control (C) diet for 8 weeks before mating and throughout gestation and ifrst 3 weeks of lactation. The expressions of hepatic fatty acid catabolism related genes, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), acyl-CoA syn-thease long-chain family member3 (ACSL3), carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1α(CPT-1α) and 3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase (Ehhadh) were determined in offspring liver tissue. The liver pathology was examined in offspring rats at 3 weeks of age. Results Pathohistological ifndings at 3 weeks of age showed that there were diffuse vacuolar degeneration in cytoplasm of hepatocytes and spot necrosis in hepatic lobular in the HF offspring liver. The mRNA expressions of PPARαand Ehhadh genes were markedly increased in the HF offspring as compared to the control group (P<0.05). The mRNA expression of CPT-1αgene was also higher in the HF offspring than that in control group (P=0.19). The level of ACSL3 gene expression, however, was markedly decreased (P<0.05). Conclusions Maternal high fat diet during pregnancy and lactation could result in an increased expression of genes related to hepatic fatty acidβ-oxidation, including PPARα, CPT1αand Ehhadh, but the liver steatosis cannot be reversed in the early life of offspring.