Abstract
BackgroundEarly dietary exposure can influence susceptibility to obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life. We examined the lasting effects of a high protein or high prebiotic fiber weaning diet when followed by a high energy diet in adulthood.MethodsAt birth, litters of Wistar rats were culled to 10 pups. At 21 d pups were weaned onto control (C), high prebiotic fiber (HF) or high protein (HP) diet. Rats consumed the experimental diets until 14 wk when they were switched to a high fat/sucrose (HFHS) diet for 6 wk. Body composition and energy intake were measured and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) performed. Blood was analyzed for satiety hormones and tissues collected for real-time PCR.ResultsWeight gain was attenuated in male rats fed HF from 12 wk until study completion. In females there were early reductions in body weight that moderated until the final two wk of HFHS diet wherein HF females weighed less than HP. Final body weight was significantly higher following the high fat challenge in male and female rats that consumed HP diet from weaning compared to HF. Lean mass was higher and fat mass lower with HF compared to HP and compared to C in males. Energy intake was highest in HP rats, particularly at the start of HFHS feeding. Plasma glucose was higher in HP rats compared to HF during an OGTT. Plasma amylin was higher in HF females compared to C and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) was higher in HF rats during the OGTT. Leptin was higher in HP rats during the OGTT. HF upregulated GLUT 5 mRNA expression in the intestine and downregulated hepatic hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase. Male rats fed HP had higher hepatic triglyceride content than C or HF.ConclusionThese data suggest that while a long-term diet high in protein predisposes to an obese phenotype when rats are given a high energy diet in adulthood, consumption of a high fiber diet during growth may provide some protection.
Highlights
Dietary exposure can influence susceptibility to obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life
Energy intake and organ weights Body weight was similar across all groups of male rats until 12 wk of age when the magnitude of weight gain slowed significantly in the high prebiotic fiber (HF) fed rats compared to high protein (HP) and C (p < 0.05, Figure 1A)
Body fat was higher in HP male (p = 0.001) and female (p = 0.005) rats compared to HF and higher than C (p = 0.001) in males
Summary
Dietary exposure can influence susceptibility to obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life. Obesity in children has been linked to alterations in glucose metabolism which can lead to type 2 diabetes. A diet high in fiber is associated with various health benefits including reduction in colorectal cancer risk [4]. Fiber intake is inversely associated with body mass index (BMI) and risk of type 2 diabetes [5,6]. Dietary recommendations for both the management and prevention of type 2 diabetes include high dietary fiber intake [7]. Various fiber sources have demonstrated benefits, including diets high in rye fiber blunting plasma glucose and insulin peaks [8] and psyllium fiber attenuating weight gain in mice fed a high-fat diet [9]. We have previously shown that a highly fermentable fiber diet in rats increases the secretion of glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), a potent insulin secretagogue that slows gastric emptying, inhibits glucagon secretion, enhances b-cell proliferation and regulates food intake [10,11]
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