Abstract
BackgroundIncreased consumption of linoleic acid (LA, omega-6) in Western diets coupled with the pro-inflammatory and adipogenic properties of its derivatives has led to suggestions that fetal exposure to this dietary pattern could be contributing to the intergenerational cycle of obesity.MethodThis study aimed to evaluate the effects of maternal consumption of a LA to alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) ratio similar to modern Western diets (9:1) compared to a lower ratio (1:1.5) on placental and fetal growth, and to determine any cumulative effects by feeding both diets at two total fat levels (18% vs 36% fat w/w). Female Wistar rats (n = 5–7/group) were assigned to one of the four experimental diets prior to mating until 20d of gestation.ResultsFatty acid profiles of maternal and fetal blood and placental tissue at 20d gestation were different between dietary groups, and largely reflected dietary fatty acid composition. Female fetuses were heavier (2.98 ± 0.06 g vs 3.36 ± 0.07 g, P < 0.01) and male placental weight was increased (0.51 ± 0.02 g vs 0.58 ± 0.02 g, P < 0.05) in the low LA:ALA groups. Female fetuses of dams exposed to a 36% fat diet had a reduced relative liver weight irrespective of LA:ALA ratio (7.61 ± 0.22% vs 6.93 ± 0.19%, P < 0.05). These effects occurred in the absence of any effect of the dietary treatments on maternal bodyweight, fat deposition or expression of key lipogenic genes in maternal and fetal liver or maternal adipose tissue.ConclusionThese findings suggest that both the total fat content as well as the LA:ALA ratio of the maternal diet have sex-specific implications for the growth of the developing fetus.
Highlights
The prevalence of obesity, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, continues to rise in both low, middle- and high-income countries, with 1.9 billion adults worldwide estimated to be overweight or Exposure to either an inappropriately high or inappropriately low plane of nutrition before birth and/ or in early infancy is a major risk factor for the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes through the life course [4,5,6,7]
Maternal food intake Dams receiving the 36% fat diets had a significantly lower food intake in the 4 weeks prior to mating independent of the linoleic acid (LA):alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) ratio (P < 0.01)
During pregnancy there was no effect of dietary fat content or fatty acid ratio on maternal food intake as expected, food intake in all groups increased as pregnancy progressed (P < 0.05; Fig. 1a)
Summary
The prevalence of obesity, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, continues to rise in both low-, middle- and high-income countries, with 1.9 billion adults worldwide estimated to be overweight or Exposure to either an inappropriately high or inappropriately low plane of nutrition before birth and/ or in early infancy is a major risk factor for the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes through the life course [4,5,6,7]. Maternal high-fat diets have consistently been associated with an increased risk of obesity and poor cardiometabolic health in the offspring [8]. Excess consumption of omega-6 relative to omega-3 fatty acids would be expected to be associated with increased incidence of inflammatory conditions, increased adiposity and heightened risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Increased consumption of linoleic acid (LA, omega-6) in Western diets coupled with the proinflammatory and adipogenic properties of its derivatives has led to suggestions that fetal exposure to this dietary pattern could be contributing to the intergenerational cycle of obesity
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