Background: Maternal nutritional status can have an impact on numerous early developmental processes, and in certain cases these effects can influence the risk her offspring have for select chronic diseases later in life. We report on the effects of maternal consumption of high levels of certain flavonoids on the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) in an atherosclerosis-prone mutant mouse model.Methods: LDLr -/- mutant mice were fed a control fat (CF), high fat (HF), or the HF diet supplemented with epicatechin and catechin (HFEC) or rutin (HFRU), prior to pregnancy and during lactation to explore whether the flavonoids influenced markers of vascular health in the lactating dams (lactation day (LD) 21). Post-weaning (postnatal day (PND) 22), offspring were challenged with an atherogenic environment (HF diet in the absence of flavonoids) and vascular health markers were assessed in the adult offspring (PND 60).Results: Dams fed the HF diet had elevated markers of atherosclerosis on LD 21 compared to dams fed the control diet. Flavonoid consumption prior to pregnancy and during lactation had inconsistent effects on maternal markers of atherosclerosis (plasma cholesterol, aortic lipid accumulation, and oxidative stress biomarkers) at LD 21 compared to dams fed the HF diet without flavonoids. At PND 60, there were no differences in vascular health markers among the groups of LDLr -/- offspring whose mothers consumed the CF or the HF diet with or without flavonoids during lactation.Conclusions: Maternal consumption of the flavonoid-supplemented HF diets had modest effects on maternal markers of atherosclerosis. Offspring exposure of the flavonoid-supplemented HF diets during early lactation had little effect on the cardiovascular parameters assessed in the adult offspring.
Maternal Zn deficiency can result in fetal growth retardation and reductions in fetal insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1). Fetal growth is driven by IGF‐1 but is also influenced by the maternal nutrient supply. Accordingly, one aim of the current study was to examine the delivery of nutrients across the placenta under conditions of Zn adequacy and deficiency. Beginning at conception rat dams consumed a Zn adequate (25 ppm Zn) or Zn deficient (0.3 ppm Zn) diet, while a third group of rats were restricted in the amount of adequate diet they received to a level equivalent to the diet consumed by the Zn deficient dams. Dams were anesthetized at GD 19.5 with isoflurane and injected with 10 μCi/kg of [14C] methyl‐aminoisobutyric acid, an amino acid analog. After 7 min, dams were euthanized and maternal serum, fetuses, and placentas were collected. Fetuses were homogenized in PBS. Aliquots of homogenate and maternal serum were precipitated with trifluoroacetic acid, and the supernates were measured for DPMs. Maternal DPM per ml serum and DPM per g fetus was similar among the groups. These data suggest that amino acid delivery was unaffected by Zn deficiency. Our previous finding indicated that fetal liver IGF‐ 1 levels are attenuated during maternal Zn deficiency. When coupled with the current findings, the data suggest that the fetal regulation of its own growth is directly compromised under conditions of Zn deficiency. This work was supported by Center for Health and Nutrition Research.
Over 340,000 bariatric surgeries are performed annually worldwide, many of them on young individuals. While successful weight loss can occur, it has been associated with a number of nutritional deficiencies. In this prospective study, blood was taken from 21 female patients (19 White, 2 Black; age = 44.5 ± 2 yrs; body mass index (BMI) = 54.8 ± 1.7 kg/m2) at baseline and 3 wk, 3 mo., 6 mo. and 12 mo. after RYGB surgery to determine the extent to which select nutrient concentrations change over time. Average BMI at 12 mo. was 36.0 ± 1.4 kg/m2. At baseline, 47.7% were characterized by vitamin D (25OHD) <20 ng/ml and 33.3% had 25OHD between 20‐30 ng/ml. By 12 mo., these levels represented 18% and 38.1% of the subjects, respectively. Iron status was lowest at 3 wks post‐surgery as evidenced by low plasma iron and high transferrin receptor levels. Inflammation was evident (hsCRP >10 mg/ml) at baseline. The highest hsCRP level was observed at 3 wks post‐surgery and decreased over time. Consistent with an acute‐phase response, ferritin levels were highest at 3 wks post‐surgery. Plasma zinc levels were highest at 3 wks post‐surgery. None of the women were characterized with zinc deficiency (<0.5 µg/ml). Prevalence of low copper status (<0.8 µg/ml) at baseline was 14.3% and increased to 31.6% by 12 months. These data support the concept that short and long‐term changes in nutritional status are common after RYGB surgery.
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