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Published on: March 13, 2014
Perinatal n-3 fatty acid imbalance affects fatty acid composition in rat offspring
K-L Catherine Jen1, Michael W Church, Chengyong Wang
1Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, United States. cjen@wayne.edu
Insights
Maternal high n-3 fatty acid (FA) intake during pregnancy and lactation led to lower offspring weight and altered body fat profiles, especially in females. High n-3 FA supplementation may not be advisable due to long-lasting effects.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Developmental Biology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Perinatal nutrition significantly influences offspring development and long-term health.
- Omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA) are crucial for development, but optimal intake levels during gestation and lactation require investigation.
- Maternal dietary n-3/n-6 fatty acid ratios can impact offspring growth and metabolic profiles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of maternal high and low n-3 fatty acid (FA) feeding during the perinatal period on Wistar rat offspring growth and fatty acid profiles.
- To determine if maternal n-3 FA intake influences offspring body composition and fatty acid distribution.
- To assess the long-term consequences of perinatal n-3 FA exposure.
Main Methods:
- Female Wistar rats were assigned to Control, low n-3 FA (LOW), or high n-3 FA (HIGH) diets during pregnancy and lactation.
- Offspring were fed a control diet post-weaning until 23-25 weeks of age.
- Maternal milk and offspring body fatty acid profiles were analyzed.
Main Results:
- While maternal weight gain and birth weights were unaffected, HIGH offspring weighed the least at birth.
- Maternal dietary n-3 FA levels directly influenced milk composition.
- HIGH offspring exhibited increased n-3 FA levels and n-3/n-6 ratios, with females more affected than males, indicating long-lasting effects.
Conclusions:
- Maternal n-3 FA deficiency may be compensated by maternal body fat mobilization.
- Excessive maternal n-3 FA intake during the perinatal period has lasting effects on offspring, particularly females.
- Supplementing high amounts of n-3 FA during pregnancy and lactation is not recommended.
Abstract:
This study was designed to investigate the effects of high and low n-3 FA feeding during perinatal period on the growth and FA profiles in the Wistar rat offspring. Female rats were randomized into three diet groups during pregnancy and lactation (L): Control (CON, ratio of n-3/n-6 approximately 0.14, n=24); n-3 FA deficient (LOW, ratio of n-3/n-6 approximately 0, n=31) and n-3 FA excess (HIGH, ratio of n-3/n-6 approximately 14.0, n=23). Milk samples were obtained on L14. After L24, all offspring were fed the control diet until killed at 23-25 weeks of age. There were no group differences in maternal weight gains or offspring birth weights. After birth, the HIGH offspring weighed the least while CON offspring the most. The FA profiles of the CON and LOW milk resembled CON diet, and the HIGH milk resembled HIGH diet. Body FA profiles of males from all groups were similar to the CON milk profile, but the CON and LOW females resembled the CON milk, while the HIGH females resembled the HIGH milk. All HIGH offspring had increased n-3 levels and n-3/n-6 ratios (males: 0.16+/-0.01; females: 0.23+/-0.06). Thus LOW dams likely had maternal body fat mobilization that compensated for the deficiency in dietary n-3 FA, while a compensatory mechanism was not observed when intake was high. Excess amount of n-3 FA affected female offspring more than males. These data indicate the long-lasting effects of supplementation and supplementing high amounts of n-3 FA during pregnancy and lactation may not be advisable.
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