Maternal consumption of high-prebiotic fibre or -protein diets during pregnancy and lactation differentially influences satiety hormones and expression of genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism in offspring in rats

• Published in: British journal of nutrition 2011-02, Vol.105 (3), p.329-338
• Main Authors: Maurer, Alannah D., Reimer, Raylene A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Breastfeeding & lactation; Diet; Dietary fiber; Dietary Proteins - administration & dosage; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastrointestinal Hormones - blood; Gene Expression; Glucose; Glucose - metabolism; Hormones; Lactation; Lipid Metabolism - genetics; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena - physiology; Metabolic disorders; Metabolism; Molecular Nutrition; Nutrition research; Obesity - etiology; Offspring; Prebiotics; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Proteins; Rats; Rats, Wistar; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Rodents; Satiation - physiology; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114510003533

Risk of developing the metabolic syndrome may be influenced by nutritional environment early in life. We examined the effects of high-fibre (HF) and high-protein (HP) diets consumed during pregnancy and lactation on satiety hormones and expression of genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism in offspring. Wistar dams were fed a control (C), HF or HP diets during pregnancy and lactation. At parturition, litters were culled to ten pups. At 21 d, all pups were weaned onto C diet. At 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 d after birth, blood was analysed for satiety hormones and tissues for mRNA expression in offspring. No differences were observed in litter size or birth weight. At 21 d, offspring of HF dams had greater adjusted intestinal mass and lower liver weight than those of C but not of HP dams. Plasma glucose at 28 d and amylin at 7, 14 and 28 d were lower in HF v. C and HP offspring. Glucagon-like peptide-1 was higher in HP offspring than in HF offspring at 7 d but was higher in HF v. C offspring at 21 d. Offspring of HF dams had higher glucose transporter (GLUT2 and Na+-dependent glucose/galactose transporter) mRNA expression at 21 d v. C and HP offspring. In brown adipose tissue, HF and HP up-regulated uncoupling protein-1 and PPAR-γ coactivator. HP was associated with increased resistin and IL-6 mRNA expression. The present study demonstrates that maternal diet composition differentially regulates circulating satiety hormones and genes involved in glucose transport and energy metabolism in offspring. These early changes could have long-term consequences for obesity risk.