Maternal exercise and neonatal overfeeding induces sex-specific peripheral and brain alterations in the offspring

Area of Science:

• Developmental biology
• Metabolic health
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a growing concern with lifelong health implications.
• The Developmental Origin of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept highlights early-life influences on adult health.
• Prenatal factors can impact metabolic health and increase the risk of chronic diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of prenatal exercise and neonatal overfeeding on pup development.
• To assess peripheral metabolic parameters, hypothalamic and hippocampal mitochondrial function, and oxidative stress.
• To evaluate the interplay between maternal exercise and overfeeding on offspring health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Female Wistar rats were assigned to sedentary or swimming exercise groups during pregnancy.
• Neonatal litter size was adjusted to induce control or overfed conditions in pups.
• Pup development, metabolic parameters, and mitochondrial function in specific brain regions were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Maternal exercise reduced overfeeding-induced mesenteric fat in female pups.
• Maternal exercise prevented increased blood glucose in male pups exposed to overfeeding.
• Male pups from exercised dams in an overfed environment exhibited impaired hippocampal mitochondrial function.
• Accelerated eye opening was observed in pups subjected to maternal exercise and/or overfeeding.

Conclusions:

• Maternal exercise demonstrates a protective effect against some detrimental effects of neonatal overfeeding, such as increased adiposity and blood glucose.
• The benefits of maternal exercise may be sex-specific, with male pups showing impaired hippocampal mitochondrial function despite maternal exercise.
• These findings underscore the importance of prenatal interventions in mitigating risks associated with early-life metabolic disturbances.