Transgenerational effects of a hypercaloric diet.
A O Joaquim1, C P Coelho2, P Dias Motta1
1Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Paulista University (UNIP), Rua Dr Bacelar, 1212, São Paulo, SP, 04026-002, Brazil.
Reproduction, Fertility, and Development
|August 26, 2015
Summary
Maternal hypercaloric diet (HD) during development leads to overweight offspring with altered neuroimmune responses. This suggests transgenerational effects on immune programming and metabolism.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Maternal diet impacts offspring development and health.
- Hypercaloric diets (HD) are linked to metabolic and inflammatory issues.
- Neuroimmune interactions are crucial for maintaining homeostasis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the transgenerational effects of maternal hypercaloric diet (HD) on neuroimmune parameters in offspring.
- To assess the impact of HD on body weight, fat accumulation, and astrocyte reactivity in F1 generation rats.
- To evaluate the neuroinflammatory and metabolic responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge in offspring exposed to maternal HD.
Main Methods:
- Female F0 rats and male F1 offspring were fed a hypercaloric diet (HD) or normocaloric diet.
- Offspring body weight, retroperitoneal fat (RPF) weight, and hypodermic adipocyte (HA) counts were measured.
- Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in hypothalamic astrocytes was assessed.
- F1 offspring were challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or saline, followed by behavioral tests and plasma analysis.
Main Results:
- Maternal HD led to overweight F0 females and F1 offspring with increased body weight gain and RPF weight.
- F1 offspring from HD dams showed altered adipocyte numbers and decreased GFAP immunoreactivity.
- LPS challenge in F1 offspring from HD dams resulted in decreased body weight gain and RPF weight, with attenuated GFAP.
- Elevated plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) was observed in offspring from HD dams, irrespective of LPS challenge.
Conclusions:
- Maternal hypercaloric diet during development induces transgenerational overweight and alters neuroimmune programming in offspring.
- Permanent changes in immune system programming may mediate the observed metabolic and neuroinflammatory effects.
- The study highlights the long-term consequences of maternal nutrition on offspring health and disease susceptibility.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:30Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
38.8K
Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
38.8K
01:10Nature and Nurture
22.8K
Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience,...
22.8K
01:24Obesity
1.5K
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to categorize individuals into weight ranges. It is calculated using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that poses health risks, often diagnosed with a BMI ≥ 30. This excess fat storage occurs when surplus dietary calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in...
1.5K
01:20Inborn Errors of Metabolism
1.0K
Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a protein metabolism disorder characterized by high blood levels of the amino acid phenylalanine. This results from a mutation in the gene responsible for phenylalanine hydroxylase, an enzyme that converts phenylalanine into tyrosine. When this enzyme is deficient, phenylalanine builds up in the blood, leading to symptoms such as vomiting, rashes, seizures, growth deficiency, and severe mental retardation. An early diagnosis and a diet restricting phenylalanine intake...
1.0K