Journal
LIFE SCIENCES
Volume 93, Issue 12-14, Pages 454-463Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2013.08.005
Keywords
Adipose tissue; Metabolic profile; Sexual dimorphism; Maternal obesity
Funding
- CNPq (Brazilian Council of Science and Technology) [E26/110.549/2010]
- FAPERJ (Rio de Janeiro State Foundation for Scientific Research) [302154/2011-6]
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Aims: To investigate whether the effects of diet-induced obesity in mothers are passed on to their offspring fed a control diet in a gender-specific manner. Main methods: Mother mice received either standard chow (SC; 17% energy from fat) or high-fat (HF; 49% energy from fat) diet for eight weeks pre-pregnancy until lactation. After weaning (at 21 days of age), offspring received SC diet and were divided into four groups according to the mother's diet (Mo): male Mo-SC, female Mo-SC, male Mo-HF, and female Mo-HF. Stereology, Elisa and western blotting were performed. Key findings: HF diet-fed mothers were overweight, and had metabolic abnormalities, all of which were found in their adult offspring. Male Mo-HF offspring had higher cholesterol, triglycerides, leptin and insulin levels and lower circulating adiponectin than female Mo-HF offspring. Mo-HF offspring of both genders had higher expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6 and leptin and lower expression of adiponectin than Mo-SC offspring; however, male Mo-HF were more affected than female Mo-HF offspring for these variables, demonstrating sexual dimorphism. Significance: Exposure to HF diet is effective in inducing obesity and metabolic alterations in mothers, and this phenotype can be passed on to their offspring. An adverse pattern in the body fat distribution in males probably has favored the intensification of a pro-inflammatory profile compared with females. In adulthood, the male offspring responds to the maternal obesity more than the female offspring, indicating a relevant sexual dimorphism that is a novel finding in this animal study. (c) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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