Maternal acrylamide exposure changes intestinal epithelium, immunolocalization of leptin and ghrelin and their receptors, and gut barrier in weaned offspring

• Published in: Scientific reports 2023-06, Vol.13 (1), p.10286-10286, Article 10286
• Main Authors: Muszyński, Siemowit, Hułas-Stasiak, Monika, Dobrowolski, Piotr, Arciszewski, Marcin B., Hiżewska, Ligia, Donaldson, Janine, Mozel, Sylwia, Rycerz, Karol, Kapica, Małgorzata, Puzio, Iwona, Tomaszewska, Ewa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/700/2814; 692/700/478; Acrylamide; Acrylamide - toxicity; Animals; Apoptosis; Digestive system; Epithelium; Exposure; Female; Fetuses; Food intake; Gastrointestinal tract; Ghrelin; Ghrelin - metabolism; Hormones; Humanities and Social Sciences; Intestinal Mucosa - metabolism; Intrauterine exposure; Leptin; Leptin - metabolism; Morphology; multidisciplinary; Offspring; Pregnancy; Prenatal experience; Prenatal exposure; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptor mechanisms; Receptors, Ghrelin - metabolism; Receptors, Leptin - metabolism; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Small intestine; Structure-function relationships; Weaning
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37590-3

Acrylamide (ACR) is an amide formed as a byproduct in many heat-processed starchy-rich foods. In utero ACR exposure has been associated with restricted fetal growth, but its effects of postnatal functional development of small intestine is completely unknown. The current study investigated the time- and segment-dependent effects of prenatal ACR exposure on morphological and functional development of small intestine in weaned rat offspring. Four groups of pregnant female Wistar rats were exposed to ACR (3 mg/kg b.w./day) for 0, 5, 10 and 15 days during pregnancy. Basal intestinal morphology, immunolocalization of gut hormones responsible for food intake and proteins of intestinal barrier, activity of the intestinal brush border disaccharidases, apoptosis and proliferation in intestinal mucosa were analyzed in offspring at weaning (postnatal day 21). The results showed that in utero ACR exposure disturbs offspring gut structural and functional postnatal development in a time- and segment-depended manner and even a short prenatal exposure to ACR resulted in changes in intestinal morphology, immunolocalization of leptin and ghrelin and their receptors, barrier function, activity of gut enzymes and upregulation of apoptosis and proliferation. In conclusion, prenatal ACR exposure disturbed the proper postnatal development of small intestine.