Combined maternal and postnatal high-fat diet leads to metabolic syndrome and is effectively reversed by resveratrol: a multiple-organ study

Jiunn-Ming Sheen,Ching-Chou Tsai,I-Chun Lin,Hong-Ren Yu,Wan-Long Tsai,Mao-Meng Tiao,You-Lin Tain,Yu-Ju Lin,Li-Tung Huang

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-24010-0

Abstract

This study aimed to study the impact of a combination of maternal and post-weaning high-fat diets and whether resveratrol was beneficial. Sprague-Dawley dams were fed either chow or a high-fat diet, before mating, during pregnancy, and into lactation. At weaning, their offspring were randomly fed chow or a high-fat diet. Four experimental groups were generated: CC (maternal/postnatal chow diet), HC (maternal high-fat/postnatal chow diet), CH (maternal chow/postnatal high-fat diet), and HH (maternal/postnatal high-fat diet). A fifth group consisted of HH plus resveratrol. The 4 month-old offspring of HH group had higher body weight, higher levels of plasma triglycerides, leptin, angiotensin I and angiotensin II and abnormal intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test results, which fulfilled the features of metabolic syndrome. The dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin system was seen in multiple organs. Sirtuin 1 expression/abundance was reduced by a maternal/postnatal high-fat diet, in all the organs examined. Resveratrol ameliorated most of the features of metabolic syndrome and molecular alterations. The administration of a high-fat diet in both periods showed interactive metabolic effects in the plasma and many organs. Our results suggest that a maternal high-fat diet sensitizes offspring to the adverse effects of subsequent high-fat intake on multiple organs.

Highlights

Over 2.1 billion adults are estimated to be overweight or obese, at present, of whom 38% are women of childbearing age[1]
The offspring were weaned at 0.75 month of age, and were assigned to either the chow diet or high-fat diet group, from weaning until 4 months of age., We found that the body weight of the 2-month-old offspring was affected by postnatal high-fat diet
At 4 months of age, we found that the body weight and the plasma leptin level of the offspring were affected by both a maternal high-fat diet and postnatal high-fat diet

Summary

Introduction

Over 2.1 billion adults are estimated to be overweight or obese, at present, of whom 38% are women of childbearing age[1]. Maternal obesity/a high-fat diet may predispose offspring to altered energy balance, obesity, and metabolic syndrome[2,3,4,5]. Conducted studies showed that a maternal high-fat diet, followed by a postnatal high-fat diet, increased the risk of metabolic syndrome[7,8]. The mechanistic link between mothers who are obese/ on a high-fat diet and offspring with metabolic syndrome is not yet completely understood. SIRT1 might be a new therapeutic target for the prevention of diseases related to insulin resistance, such as metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus. When rodents were fed a high-fat diet, resveratrol treatment improved glucose homeostasis, mitochondrial function, lipid parameters, body weight, and survival[18]

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