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Maternal arachidonic acid and iron supplementation improves performance in Morris Water Maze in 28‐day old offspring from diabetic rats – a pilot study
Author(s) -
Zhao Jinping,
Del Bigio Marc R.,
Weiler Hope A.
Publication year - 2011
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.25.1_supplement.29.7
Subject(s) - offspring , lactation , endocrinology , morris water navigation task , medicine , placebo , streptozotocin , pregnancy , gestation , litter , diabetes mellitus , biology , hippocampus , genetics , alternative medicine , pathology , agronomy
Maternal diabetes may compromise infant arachidonic acid (AA) and iron status and brain function. Rat dams (n=8) were randomized into Saline‐Placebo or streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetic groups in a 1:3 ratio. The placebo group received control diet (AIN‐93); the STZ‐dams were fed either control, AA (0.5% of fat, gestation and lactation), or iron (198 mg iron/kg BW, lactation) supplemented diets. The mean dam gestational blood glucose (mmol/L) was 6.1 in the placebo group and >13.0 in STZ‐treated dams regardless of diet. Weight was reduced (P<0.05) in the offspring from diabetic pregnancies at day 28 (n=4/litter). Day 28 STZ‐offspring needed >50% more time (P=0.01) to find the hidden platform in the Morris Water Maze (MWM) than placebo‐offspring. MWM performance in the STZ‐offspring was improved by iron supplementation (43%) and AA supplementation (47%). Compared to placebo‐offspring, the day 3 STZ‐offspring had 16.5% lower (P=0.03, μg/g wet weight) brain iron and 41.5% lower (P<0.0001) liver iron. The day 3 brain AA level in STZ‐offspring was 1.9% lower (P=0.001, g/100g fatty acids) than placebo‐offspring. Maternal AA supplementation increased levels of brain AA and tissue iron in STZ‐offspring. Maternal supplementation with either iron or AA led to improvement in the performance in MWM, with the greater effect in the AA‐supplemented offspring. Supported by the Canadian Institute of Health Research. Grant Funding Source : Canadian Institute of Health Research