Pups of Dams Fed Low-Fat Diet during Pregnancy and Lactation Showed Strong Preference for High-Fat Diet to Achieve Optimal Growth

Abstract

SummaryTo investigate the causes why pups of dams fed a low-fat high-carbohydrate diet (LFD) showed a strong preference for fat, three groups of dams were fed one of three diets during pregnancy and lactation: the LFD, a control diet (CTD) or a high-fat low-carbohydrate diet (HFD). After weaning, pups of each of the three groups were divided into two equal subgroups (Pair 1 and Pair 2), for a total of six pup subgroups. Each subgroup was placed on a two-choice diet program of the LFD and the HFD (Pair 1), or the LFD and a HFDLE (with cellulose added to maintain the same energy concentration as the LFD) (Pair 2), for 3 wk. Although the energy intake of dams fed the LFD during the nursing period was lower than that of the HFD group, no significant difference in body weight was observed among the three groups. At weaning, the body weight of pups nursed by dams fed the LFD was lower than that of the other groups. In Pair 1, the HFD intake ratio of the LFD and the HFD groups during the self-selection period was higher than that of the CTD group. In Pair 2, the HFDLE intake ratio of the LFD and the CTD groups was lower than that of the HFD group. At the end of the self-selection period, no significant difference in body weight was observed among the three groups of Pair 1. However, in Pair 2, the body weight of the LFD group was lower than that of the other groups. Therefore, it was supposed that pups of dams fed the LFD showed strong preference for the HFD containing high energy in order to achieve optimal growth. Key Words parental nutrition, self-selection, fat-feeding, weaning pups Nutritional conditions during pregnancy and lactation have a major role in the metabolic and hormonal interactions between the maternal body, the fetus and the suckling pup. Fetus and suckling pup growth is influenced by maternal nutritional conditions ( 1 ). Lipids are considered to be important as an energy-dense nutrient and as a source for essential fatty acids. Lipids play a functional role in fetal and suckling-pup development ( 2 ). Although the physiological factors contributing to fat diet self-selection are unknown, physiological hormones are maintained through a complex nutrient metabolic pathway regulated by hormones and the central nervous system ( 3-5 ).Insulin and leptin are of particular importance in the long-term control of food intake and energy homeostasis ( 6 ). Insulin is the controller of blood glucose levels and is secreted by ␤ cells of the pancreas as controlled by glucose levels ( 7 ). Although glucose homeostasis may remain normal, both fasting and postprandial insulin concentrations tend to increase with age ( 8 ). Leptin is produced by adipose tissue and has potent effects on body weight, food intake regulation and energy consumption through its receptors in the hypothalamus ( 9 ). Vickers et al. suggested that prenatal exposure to maternal malnutrition leads to changes in the regulation of the insulin-leptin endocrine axes that appear to predispose offspring to diet-induced obesity ( 10 , 11 ). It has also...

Hypocaloric diet in perinatal life followed by obesity exacerbates metabolic disorders in the offspring of wistar rats

“…palmitate and stearate, to monounsaturated FAs, palmitoleate oleate, which are the predominant substrates for triglyceride synthesis observed in pups from mothers fed high-fat diet during lactation (23) . Other mechanisms observed in Wistar rats fed cafeteria diet was the expression of metabolism genes as such, Slc27a3, a fatty acid transporter was 9.6-fold higher in visceral adipose tissue and 6.3-fold lower in subcutaneous adipose tissue of cafeteria group compared to standard-diet fed rats indicating a epigenetic programming (24) . As a limitation, in this study we did not investigate cellular mechanisms, but we did observe consistent phenotypic changes in pups derived from mothers fed a low-energy diet followed by an obesogenic diet and changes in phenotypic expression is strong indicator that several underlying cellular mechanisms occur.…”

Effects of a Westernized Diet on the Reflexes and Physical Maturation of Male Rat Offspring During the Perinatal Period

“…As a result of the energy density (kcal/g) diets, consumption may or may not differ between the groups. Earlier studies have shown a reduction in the maternal diet intake during the perinatal period, with the consumption of calories equal or greater, depending of the energy density of the diet [31][32][33]. Other studies indicate that hyperphagia in the mothers is associated with an inhibition of the hypothalamic satiety factors; the circulation levels of leptin were observed to increase on this type of diet, but appeared to trigger resistance to its action and thus contribute to the delay in satiety [28,34].…”