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High fat programming induces glucose intolerance in weanling Wistar rats
1Diabetes Discovery Platform, Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa. marlon.cerf@mrc.ac.za
Hormone and Metabolic Research = Hormon- Und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones Et Metabolisme
|March 3, 2010
Summary
Maternal high-fat diet during gestation and lactation programs glucose intolerance in weanling rats. Offspring exposed to high-fat diets during lactation showed overt glucose intolerance, while gestation-only exposure caused milder effects.
Area of Science:
- Developmental programming
- Metabolic disorders
- Nutritional science
Background:
- Maternal diet influences offspring metabolic health.
- High-fat diets are linked to metabolic dysfunction.
- Understanding critical developmental windows is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of maternal high-fat diet (HFD) during specific gestation and lactation periods on offspring glucose tolerance.
- To assess effects on maternal parameters like food intake, weight, and glucose levels.
- To determine if developmental programming via HFD induces glucose intolerance in weanling rats.
Main Methods:
- Wistar rats were assigned to HFD groups: gestation and lactation (HFGL), gestation only (HFG), or lactation only (HFL).
- Maternal food intake, body weight, and fasting blood glucose were monitored.
- Oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) were conducted on 3-week-old weanlings, measuring glucose at 0, 10, 15, 30, and 60 minutes.
Main Results:
- HFGL and HFL weanlings exhibited significantly higher glucose concentrations at 10, 15, 30, and 60 minutes post-glucose load compared to controls.
- HFG weanlings showed elevated glucose only at 30 minutes, normalizing by 60 minutes.
- Peak glucose levels occurred at 30 minutes in HFD-exposed weanlings, versus 15 minutes in controls.
Conclusions:
- Maternal HFD exposure during gestation and lactation, or lactation alone, induces overt glucose intolerance in weanling rats.
- HFD exposure during gestation solely results in milder glucose intolerance.
- Developmental programming via maternal HFD during critical periods significantly impacts offspring glucose metabolism.
