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The Benefits of Switching to a Healthy Diet on Metabolic, Cognitive, and Gut Microbiome Parameters Are Preserved in Adult Rat Offspring of Mothers Fed a High‐Fat, High‐Sugar Diet
Author(s) -
Kendig Michael D.,
Hasebe Kyoko,
Tajaddini Aynaz,
Kaakoush Nadeem O.,
Westbrook R. Frederick,
Morris Margaret J.
Publication year - 2023
Publication title -
molecular nutrition and food research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.495
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1613-4133
pISSN - 1613-4125
DOI - 10.1002/mnfr.202200318
Subject(s) - offspring , gut flora , obesity , cafeteria , physiology , biology , microbiome , endocrinology , medicine , pregnancy , bioinformatics , immunology , genetics , pathology
Scope Maternal obesity increases the risk of health complications in children, highlighting the need for effective interventions. A rat model of maternal obesity to examine whether a diet switch intervention could reverse the adverse effects of an unhealthy postweaning diet is used. Methods and results Male and female offspring born to dams fed standard chow or a high‐fat, high‐sugar “cafeteria” (Caf) diet are weaned onto chow or Caf diets until 22 weeks of age, when Caf‐fed groups are switched to chow for 5 weeks. Adiposity, gut microbiota composition, and place recognition memory are assessed before and after the switch. Body weight and adiposity fall in switched groups but remain significantly higher than chow‐fed controls. Nonetheless, the diet switch improves a deficit in place recognition memory observed in Caf‐fed groups, increases gut microbiota species richness, and alters β diversity. Modeling indicate that adiposity most strongly predicts gut microbiota composition before and after the switch. Conclusion Maternal obesity does not alter the effects of switching diet on metabolic, microbial, or cognitive measures. Thus, a healthy diet intervention lead to major shifts in body weight, adiposity, place recognition memory, and gut microbiota composition, with beneficial effects preserved in offspring born to obese dams.