Abstract
Previously, we demonstrated that a grape seed procyanidin extract (GSPE) supplementation in pregnant and lactating rats exerted both healthy and deleterious programming effects on their offspring. Here, we evaluated whether the administration of GSPE during lactation (100 mg.kg−1.day−1) in rats elicited beneficial effects in their normoweight (STD-GSPE group) and cafeteria-fed obese (CAF-GSPE group) adult male offspring. STD-GSPE and CAF-GSPE offspring showed increased energy expenditure and circulating total and high-molecular-weight adiponectin. However, these rats showed hyperinsulinemia, decreased insulin sensitivity, increased insulin resistance, down-regulated mRNA levels of adiponectin receptors in inguinal white adipose tissue (Adipor1 and Adipor2) and soleus muscle (Adipor2), and decreased levels of phosphorylated AMPK, the downstream post-receptor target of adiponectin, in the soleus muscle. These deleterious effects could be related to an increased lipid transfer to the pups through the milk, since GSPE-supplemented dams displayed decreased fat content and increased expression of lipogenic genes in their mammary glands, in addition to increased circulating total adiponectin and non-esterified free fatty acids. In conclusion, maternal intake of GSPE during lactation induced insulin resistance and an adiponectin resistance-like phenotype in their normoweight and obese offspring. These findings raise concerns about the possibility of using GSPE as a nutraceutical supplement during this period.
Highlights
Metabolic syndrome (MetS), which can be defined as a cluster of interconnected risk factors including insulin resistance, obesity, dyslipidemia and hypertension, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type-2 diabetes, which are the two primary causes of mortality worldwide[1]
Regarding grape seed procyanidin extract (GSPE), we showed that procyanidins could target the placenta and fetus[19] and that 30-day-old male offspring of dams fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and supplemented with this extract during pregnancy and lactation showed a better inflammatory profile in the blood and the epididymal white adipose tissue (EWAT)[17]
The circulating levels of non-esterified free fatty acids (NEFAs) were significantly higher in GSPE rats than in their counterparts (p = 0.015, Student’s t test), and this was translated to a lower R-QUICKI (p = 0.026, Student’s t test), which could suggest a decrease in insulin sensitivity (Table 2)
Summary
Metabolic syndrome (MetS), which can be defined as a cluster of interconnected risk factors including insulin resistance, obesity, dyslipidemia and hypertension, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type-2 diabetes, which are the two primary causes of mortality worldwide[1]. There is growing evidence that children of mothers with gestational diabetes are more prone to develop type-2 diabetes later in life[4], and obesity before and during early pregnancy increases the risk of obesity and metabolic and cardiovascular disorders in adulthood[3] All of these concerns highlight the need for deeper insight into the disease mechanisms and innovative nutritional strategies for combating these pathologies. The main aim of the present study was to evaluate, in lactating rats, the effect of maternal intake of moderate doses of GSPE (100 mg.kg−1.day−1) in attenuating obesity and/or its related metabolic disorders in young adult offspring fed a cafeteria diet (CAF). This animal model resembles the MetS that occurs in humans[25]. The effects of GSPE on dams and their offspring fed a standard chow diet (STD) were studied
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