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Brown and Paracardial Adipose Tissue Characteristics Influenced by High Fat, High Sucrose Diet and Thermoneutral Temperature in Pregnancy
Author(s) -
Dellschaft Neele,
Perez Gabriela,
Aldiss Peter,
Albustanji Layla,
Budge Helen,
Symonds Michael
Publication year - 2017
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.31.1_supplement.966.21
Subject(s) - gestation , brown adipose tissue , medicine , endocrinology , adipose tissue , biology , white adipose tissue , pregnancy , obesity , thermogenesis , leptin , genetics
Transgenerational programming of obesity may play a significant role in the increase of childhood obesity. Brown fat, a thermogenic tissue abundant in early postnatal life that is retained into adulthood could be a target organ to prevent obesity due to its high energy expenditure. Brown fat is less abundant with obesity and its activation is reduced in a warm environment. It is not known how these factors interact during pregnancy. Methods Female rats were raised on a low fat (L) diet or a high fat, high sucrose diet (H) and housed at either a cool (20°C) or thermoneutral temperature (27°C) from 4 weeks of age, and 6 females of each group were tissue sampled at 10 weeks of age. The remaining females were mated and sampled at either 10d (mid‐gestation, n=6) or 19d gestation (late‐gestation, n=6). Analysis of the tissues collected for this study are ongoing. Gene expression and histological appearance of brown and white adipose tissues was determined. Results Animals fed the H diet had greater white fat mass, but a similar body weight than those fed L, irrespective of rearing temperature. Brown fat mass was higher in H females at 20°C at all time points but diet made no difference at thermoneutrality. Whilst leptin expression in brown fat was not changed in unmated females, it was higher in both groups of females at 27°C at 10d gestation, but only raised in H dams at 27°C at 19d gestation, suggesting a ‘whitening’ of the tissue, although UCP1 expression was unchanged at any time point. Paracardial adipose tissue mass in non‐pregnant females followed a similar pattern to the other adipose tissues. Both diet and temperature had a significant impact on histological appearance ( Figure below), suggesting a stronger thermogenic capacity when reared in a cool temperature and fed an L diet. Conclusions Diet has a strong influence on body composition which is modulated by housing temperature. We now aim to demonstrate the interaction of environmental temperature with excess fat mass on beige fat thermogenic capacity through pregnancy as well as fetal adaptations to these challenges. Support or Funding Information This work was supported by a EU‐CASCADE fellowship.