Obesity induction in adult zebrafish leads to negative reproduction and offspring effects

Abstract

Obesity is transgenerational epigenetic metabolic disturbance. Although the diet-induced obese (DIO) zebrafish model is well established, reproductive parameters and changes in offspring have not yet been evaluated. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate possible changes in reproductive parameters, embryos and offspring (F1) generated by the reproduction of diet-induced obese males and females. The adult zebrafish were divided into two groups receiving a balanced diet (Control group) or overfed (DIO group) were investigated. The dietary protocol was maintained for eight weeks. During this period, males and females in the same group were stimulated through a weekly reproduction protocol. To verify parental obesity, body weight, blood glucose, triglyceride, the hepatosomatic and gonadosomatic index and adipose tissue morphometry evaluations were carried out. Reproductive parameters were evaluated through ovarian and oocyte maturation stage, total spawning, fertility and fertilization index. To verify possible changes caused by parenteral obesity, all offspring were kept in separate groups in correspondence with their parents and were fed a control diet. Plasma glucose, triglycerides, mortality rate, hatching, and deformities were determined. After eight weeks under the diet protocol, the DIO group exhibited characteristic obesity alterations, displaying significant increases in body mass and hepatosomatic and gonadosomatic indices, hyperglycemia and visceral and subcutaneous adipocyte hypertrophy. In addition, high mortality rates, morphologic deformities and high plasmatic glucose and triglyceride levels, with 100% mortality at 60 dpf, were observed for the offspring. Therefore, obesity induction in adults led to negative effects on their offspring, with high occurrence of deformities and mortality.

Obesity III: Obesogen assays: Limitations, strengths, and new directions

“…These methodological advantages have been exploited for developing a bioassay to evaluate the obesogenic properties of chemicals in zebrafish larvae [161]. Zebrafish models can also help assess specific windows of sensitivity during life as well as transgenerational effects of obesogens [168][169][170] and can be used to study the interaction between the diet composition and metabolic health effects promoted by subsequent chemical exposures [114,152,159,160,171]. Interesting recent research demonstrated that long-term dietary vitamin D deficiency promoted stunted growth and increased central adiposity via both adipocyte hypertrophy and hyperplasia in both visceral and subcutaneous depots [172].…”

Liver Transcriptomic Analysis of the Effects of Dietary Fish Oil Revealed a Regulated Expression Pattern of Genes in Adult Female Spotted Scat (Scatophagus argus)

“…Decreased HSI in the FO group reveals that a high level of dietary n-3 PUFAs significantly reduced fat accumulation in the liver. It is well known that adult zebrafish suffer from hepatic adipose infiltration, which might influence reproduction and offspring (Virote et al, 2020). The liver with less fat tissue should be healthier, and the healthy liver might have a stronger ability to synthesize the proteins and lipids, such as the Vtg and Zp proteins required for gonadal development.…”

Effects of feeding rate and dietary protein levels on the breeding performance of female yellow catfish ( Pelteobagrus fulvidraco )

“…The damage caused by maternal obesity can be inherited for three generations (Andreas et al, 2019). In diet‐induced obese zebrafish model, the offspring display high rate of morphologic deformities and high level of plasma glucose and triglyceride, finally show 100% mortality at 60 days post fertilization (Virote et al, 2020). In our studies, the fries of moderate restriction group (1% feeding rate) show high quality, such as low rate of morphological deformities and high survival rate (Figure 3).…”