Pregnancy Is Enough to Provoke Deleterious Effects in Descendants of Fructose-Fed Mothers and Their Fetuses

Abstract

The role of fructose in the global obesity and metabolic syndrome epidemic is widely recognized. However, its consumption is allowed during pregnancy. We have previously demonstrated that maternal fructose intake in rats induces detrimental effects in fetuses. However, these effects only appeared in adult descendants after a re-exposure to fructose. Pregnancy is a physiological state that leads to profound changes in metabolism and hormone response. Therefore, we wanted to establish if pregnancy in the progeny of fructose-fed mothers was also able to provoke an unhealthy situation. Pregnant rats from fructose-fed mothers (10% w/v) subjected (FF) or not (FC) to a fructose supplementation were studied and compared to pregnant control rats (CC). An OGTT was performed on the 20th day of gestation, and they were sacrificed on the 21st day. Plasma and tissues from mothers and fetuses were analyzed. Although FF mothers showed higher AUC insulin values after OGTT in comparison to FC and CC rats, ISI was lower and leptinemia was higher in FC and FF rats than in the CC group. Accordingly, lipid accretion was observed both in liver and placenta in the FC and FF groups. Interestingly, fetuses from FC and FF mothers also showed the same profile observed in their mothers on lipid accumulation, leptinemia, and ISI. Moreover, hepatic lipid peroxidation was even more augmented in fetuses from FC dams than those of FF mothers. Maternal fructose intake produces in female progeny changes that alter their own pregnancy, leading to deleterious effects in their fetuses.

Effects of maternal fructose intake on the offspring’s kidneys

“…Several experimental models have evaluated the effects of maternal high fructose consumption, alone or in combination with a high sodium and/or high fat diet, or with different doses of fructose (usually very high doses) ( Olatunji et al, 2001 ; Abdulla et al, 2011 ; Tain et al, 2015a ; Rodrigo et al, 2016 ; Saad et al, 2016 ; Fauste et al, 2021 ); however, few have evaluated in detail the effects on the structural and functional alterations of the kidneys from the offspring of rats subjected only to fructose overload.…”

Fructose Consumption Affects Placental Production of H2S: Impact on Preeclampsia-Related Parameters

“…In a previous study, we demonstrate that maternal fructose intake produces changes in female descendants that alter their own pregnancy, leading to deleterious effects in their fetuses [ 27 ]. Since we found that fructose intake during pregnancy can directly affect the enzymatic production of H 2 S in placenta ( Figure 2 B,E), we were interested to know if maternal fructose intake can also induce epigenetic changes that would affect placental production of H 2 S in the offspring through a fetal programming mechanism.…”

“…We have previously described that maternal fructose intake produces changes in female progeny that alter their own pregnancy, such as lipid accretion in the placenta [ 27 ]. However, in the present study we have found that maternal fructose consumption induces placental H 2 S synthesis in the offspring, when they are pregnant.…”

“…A model of maternal liquid fructose consumption was established in rats following previously outlined procedures [ 26 , 27 ]. Female Sprague Dawley rats weighing between 200–240 g were fed a standard rat chow diet ad libitum (B&K Universal, Barcelona, Spain), and housed in conditions with controlled light and temperature (12 h light–dark cycle; 22 ± 1 °C).…”

“…At 21 days of age, female offspring (F1 generation) were separated from their mothers and maintained on a standard rat chow diet and water without additives [ 27 ]. Upon reaching 8 weeks of age, they were mated.…”