Microbiota Changes in Fathers Consuming a High Prebiotic Fiber Diet Have Minimal Effects on Male and Female Offspring in Rats.

Faye Chleilat,Raylene A Reimer,Alana Schick

doi:10.3390/nu13030820

Abstract

Background: Consuming a diet high in prebiotic fiber has been associated with improved metabolic and gut microbial parameters intergenerationally, although studies have been limited to maternal intake with no studies examining this effect in a paternal model. Method: Male Sprague Dawley rats were allocated to either (1) control or (2) oligofructose-supplemented diet for nine weeks and then mated. Offspring consumed control diet until 16 weeks of age. Bodyweight, body composition, glycemia, hepatic triglycerides, gastrointestinal hormones, and gut microbiota composition were measured in fathers and offspring. Results: Paternal energy intake was reduced, while satiety inducing peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY) gut hormone was increased in prebiotic versus control fathers. Increased serum PYY persisted in female prebiotic adult offspring. Hepatic triglycerides were decreased in prebiotic fathers with a similar trend (p = 0.07) seen in female offspring. Gut microbial composition showed significantly reduced alpha diversity in prebiotic fathers at 9 and 12 weeks of age (p < 0.001), as well as concurrent differences in beta diversity (p < 0.001), characterized by differences in Bifidobacteriaceae, Lactobacillaceae and Erysipelotrichaceae, and particularly Bifidobacterium animalis. Female prebiotic offspring had higher alpha diversity at 3 and 9 weeks of age (p < 0.002) and differences in beta diversity at 15 weeks of age (p = 0.04). Increases in Bacteroidetes in female offspring and Christensenellaceae in male offspring were seen at nine weeks of age. Conclusions: Although paternal prebiotic intake before conception improves metabolic and microbiota outcomes in fathers, effects on offspring were limited with increased serum satiety hormone levels and changes to only select gut bacteria.

Highlights

Introduction published maps and institutional affilSubstantial evidence shows that maternal, fetal, and neonatal microbiota elicit transient and long-lasting impacts on health that is based on the presence of microbes themselves as well as the metabolites they produce [1,2,3]
Clear beneficial metabolic effects have been observed for both mother and offspring with maternal prebiotic intake during gestation and lactation [5,6,7,8,23], our findings suggest that paternal prebiotic intake before conception, improves metabolic and gut microbial status in fathers but has only limited impact on offspring health
The effects seemed to be largely confined to increased serum peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY), a trend towards decreased hepatic triglyceride concentrations and increased cecal acetate in female offspring and only increased serum GLP-1in male offspring

Summary

Introduction

Introduction published maps and institutional affilSubstantial evidence shows that maternal, fetal, and neonatal microbiota elicit transient and long-lasting impacts on health that is based on the presence of microbes themselves as well as the metabolites they produce [1,2,3]. Maternal intake of prebiotic oligofructose has been shown to selectively alter obese maternal gut microbiota composition and significantly enhance the abundance of the health-promoting genera Bifidobacterium [8]. Maternal prebiotic oligofructose intake resulted in increased iations. Offspring consumed control diet until 16 weeks of age. Bodyweight, body composition, glycemia, hepatic triglycerides, gastrointestinal hormones, and gut microbiota composition were measured in fathers and offspring. Results: Paternal energy intake was reduced, while satiety inducing peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY) gut hormone was increased in prebiotic versus control fathers. Gut microbial composition showed significantly reduced alpha diversity in prebiotic fathers at 9 and 12 weeks of age (p < 0.001), as well as concurrent differences in beta diversity (p < 0.001), characterized by differences in Bifidobacteriaceae, Lactobacillaceae and Erysipelotrichaceae, and Bifidobacterium animalis. Female prebiotic offspring had higher alpha diversity at 3 and 9 weeks of age (p < 0.002)

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