Maternal sucrose consumption alters steroid levels in the mother, placenta and fetus

Maternal diet has long-term effects on offspring brain development and behavior. Sucrose (table sugar) intake is high in modern diets, but it is not clear how a maternal high-sucrose diet (HSD) affects offspring. In rats, a maternal HSD (26% of calories from sucrose, which is human-relevant) alters maternal metabolism and brain and also alters adult offspring endocrinology and behavior in a sex-specific manner. Maternal sucrose intake increases corticosterone levels in adult female offspring and increases motivation for a sugar reward in adult male offspring. Here, to identify possible underlying mechanisms, we examined how a maternal HSD affects steroids in the dam, placenta and fetus at embryonic day 19.5 using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Maternal sucrose intake increased glucocorticoids (11-deoxycorticosterone and 11-dehydrocorticosterone) and tended to increase the mineralocorticoid aldosterone in maternal serum. In the placenta, maternal sucrose intake decreased androstenedione and testosterone. Maternal HSD increased aldosterone in the fetal blood. Similarly, in the fetal brain, maternal high sucrose intake increased aldosterone in the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, decreased testosterone in the nucleus accumbens and decreased corticosterone in the orbital cortex. In addition, the 11-dehydrocorticosterone/corticosterone and aldosterone/corticosterone ratios were increased in most examined brain regions. Finally, maternal HSD increased 11-dehydrocorticosterone and aldosterone in the amniotic fluid. In summary, we found dramatic and widespread changes in maternal, placental and fetal steroids that might mediate the long-term effects of maternal sucrose consumption on adult offspring neuroendocrinology and behavior.