FASTING DURING THE SUCKLING-WEANING TRANSIENT PERIOD IN RATS INDUCES METABOLIC ABNORMALITIES IN ADULTHOOD

• Published in: Annals of nutrition and metabolism 2017-10, Vol.71 (Suppl. 2), p.615
• Main Authors: Honma, Kazue, Ikeda, Misa, Mawatari, Riko, Mochizuki, Kazuki, Goda, Toshinao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abnormalities; Adipose tissue; Age; Animal models; Animals; Body weight; Breastfeeding & lactation; Developmental stages; Diet; Fasting; Gene expression; Genes; Gluconeogenesis; Glucose; Glucose tolerance; High fat diet; Inflammation; Interleukins; Leukocytes; Lipid metabolism; Liver; Low fat diet; Malnutrition; Metabolism; Monocyte chemoattractant protein; Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1; Monocytes; mRNA; Nutrient deficiency; Nutrition; Nutritional status; Pregnancy; Proteins; Rats; Sucrose; Sugar; Trends; Vitamin deficiency; Weaning
• ISSN: 0250-6807; 1421-9697
• DOI: 10.1159/000480486

Background and objectives: Nutritional status during developmental stages could be associated with subsequent development of metabolic abnormalities. This theory is known as the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). Many studies have reported the relationship between nutritional deficiency during developmental stages and metabolic abnormalities in animal models including intrauterine calorie restriction (IUCR) in their mothers in the last week of rat pregnancy. In this study, we have examined whether malnutrition by fasting for 3 days in the weaning period alters glucose tolerance in adulthood. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fasted from 18 to 21 days after birth, and subsequently they are fed a high-fat, high-sucrose (HF) or low-fat, high-starch (LF) diet for 14 weeks from 17wk of age. The mRNA levels of inflammation-related genes in the peripheral leukocytes were measured at 0 h and 2 h after oral glucose load at 30 wk of age. Serum monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) concentration and the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokine and related genes were assessed in mesenteric adipose tissues were at 31 wk of age. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of the genes related to lipid and sugar metabolism related genes were assessed in the liver. Results: At 16 wk of age, body weight and glucose tolerance in rats fasted for 3 days in the weaning period were similar to those in control rats. At 31 wk of age, the animals fasted in the weaning period showed a higher MCP-1 protein concentration when they were fed a LF diet but not when they were fed a HF diet. HF diet-induced increase in the mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor- α, interleukin-1β and S100 proteins in peripheral leukocytes at 2 h after glucose load was greater in rats fasted in the weaning period than controls. In the animals fasted in the weaning period, liver triglyceride contents were enhanced in adulthood when they were fed a HF diet, and the expression of gluconeogenesis-related genes were enhanced in adulthood when they were fed a LF diet. Conclusions: These results suggest that malnutrition in the weaning period induces an enhanced inflammation and impaired glucose tolerance in adulthood.