Peripubertal Physical Activity in Male Wistar Rats Helps to Prove the Concept of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
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Letícia Ferreira Barbosa1, Filipe Lima Dos Santos2, Marcos Vinícius Martins1
1Experimental Laboratory of DOHaD, Program in Molecular and Cell Biology, State University of Maringá, Maringá-PR, Brazil; Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology in DOHaD, Maringá, Brazil.
Insights
Aerobic exercise during peripuberty, but not adulthood, reversed obesity-induced metabolic programming in rats. This critical window in adolescence is key to mitigating long-term health risks from early-life obesity.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Metabolic health
- Exercise physiology
Background:
- Global rise in obesity poses public health challenges.
- Early-life obesity impacts metabolic programming, increasing adult disease risk.
- Adolescence is a critical window for metabolic plasticity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if aerobic training during peripuberty can reverse metabolic programming induced by early-life obesity.
- To determine if adulthood offers a similar plastic window for intervention.
- To assess the long-term metabolic effects of peripubertal exercise.
Main Methods:
- Male Wistar rats were overfed during lactation to induce early obesity (Developmental Origins of Health and Disease framework).
- A moderate-intensity aerobic training protocol was applied during the peripubertal period (30-60 days) or adulthood (90-120 days).
- Metabolic effects were assessed at specific time points (day 120 and 180).
Main Results:
- Early-onset obesity accelerated puberty and weight gain in rats.
- Peripubertal aerobic training effectively managed weight gain and preserved running capacity.
- Training during adulthood did not reverse the effects of early-onset obesity.
- Peripubertal exercise positively influenced lipid metabolism, fat accumulation, and muscle mass.
Conclusions:
- Adolescence represents a critical developmental window for intervention.
- Aerobic training during peripuberty can reverse negative metabolic programming from early-life obesity.
- Targeting adolescence is crucial for mitigating long-term health consequences of obesity.
Introduction:
The global rise in obesity, driven by sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits, presents significant public health and economic challenges. Obesity is a risk factor for several non-communicable diseases; moreover, it impacts childhood and puberty, critical windows for metabolic programming, which increases the risk of developing metabolic disorders in adulthood. Physical exercise has emerged as an effective strategy to prevent and manage obesity, promoting chronic adaptations that enhance quality of life. Considering the developmental plasticity of the peripubertal phase, we hypothesized that aerobic training during this period could reverse the metabolic programming induced by early obesity.
Methods:
Using the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) framework, male Wistar rats were overfed during lactation to induce early obesity. A moderate-intensity aerobic training protocol was applied only during the peripubertal period (30-60 d of age), and its metabolic effects were assessed at day 120. To prove that adulthood is not a plastic window, the same training protocol was performed during adulthood (90-120 d), with assessments at 180 d.
Results:
Our results revealed that early-onset obesity in male rats leads to accelerated puberty and weight gain, whereas aerobic training implemented during peripuberty, but not during adulthood, effectively managed weight gain. It also preserved maximal running capacity and oxygen consumption efficiency, and positively influenced lipid metabolism, fat accumulation, and muscle mass.
Conclusion:
Thus, our study highlights the importance of adolescence as a critical period to reverse and mitigate the consequences of early metabolic programming.
