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Fetal programming by maternal obesity increases offspring's susceptibility to obesity in later‐life
Author(s) -
Shankar Kartik,
Liu Xiaoli,
Harrell Amanda,
Ronis Martin J J,
Badger Thomas M
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a324
Subject(s) - offspring , obesity , endocrinology , medicine , leptin , lactation , in utero , lean body mass , biology , calorie , adipose tissue , insulin resistance , weaning , pregnancy , fetus , body weight , genetics
To examine whether in utero exposure to maternal obesity increases the risk of obesity in the offspring in later‐life, we have developed an overfeeding‐based model of maternal obesity in rats by intragastric feeding of diets using total enteral nutrition. Feeding liquid diets to female SD rats at 220 kcal/kg 3/4 /d (15% excess calories/d) compared to 187 kcal/kg 3/4 /d (NRC requirements) for 3 wks caused substantial increase in body‐weight gain, adiposity, serum insulin, leptin and insulin resistance. Lean or obese female rats were mated with ad libitum AIN‐93G‐fed male rats. Exposure to obesity was ensured to be limited only to the maternal in utero environment by cross‐fostering pups to non‐cannulated lean dams with ad libitum access to AIN‐93G diets throughout lactation. Numbers of pups, birth weight and size were not affected by maternal obesity. Male offspring from each group were weaned at PND21 to either AIN‐93G diets or HF diets (45% fat calories). Monitoring weekly body‐weights until PND130, revealed that while body weights of obese dam offspring did not differ from offspring of lean dams on AIN‐93G diets, obese dam offspring gained remarkably greater (p<0.05) body weights and %body fat/BW on a HFD. Average body weights at PND130 were 800 ± 26 g for the HFD‐obese dam offspring vs. 683 ± 22 g for HFD‐offspring of lean dams. Body composition was assessed by EchoMRI, LaTheta CT scanning and weights of adipose tissues. Metabolic and hormonal parameters were also measured in the offspring. These data suggest that maternal obesity may lead to fetal programming of the offspring that could result in obesity on challenge with an obesegenic diet in later‐life. Supported in part by ARS CRIS #6251‐51000‐003‐065.