No abstract

Collectively, these data suggest that offspring of dams who consume a diet rich in saturated fats during pregnancy are at increased risk of adult-onset chronic disease. Additionally, these chronic diseases were determined to be in-part OS-mediated, and preventable by increasing a prenatal dietary antioxidant; this knowledge offers both a putative mechanism of disease pathogenesis and suggests a potential preventive strategy.

The theory of HFD-associated, OS-mediated placental damage and skeletal pathogenesis was supported by demonstrating a protective effect of the dietary antioxidant quercetin (Q) against HFD-associated fetal skeletal developmental delay. Improved understanding of the role of HFD and elevated OS in fetal skeletal development will help to more completely elucidate the importance of the prenatal environment to fetal formation, and will be applied to better understand the contribution of the fetal environment to long-term risk of adult-onset disease.