The effect of a high multivitamin diet during the first gestation on the dams and their offspring from the first and second pregnancy

Abstract

High multivitamin intake during pregnancy of the Wistar rat results in increased body weight, food intake and characteristics of the metabolic syndrome in the offspring (Szeto IM et al. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2008; 295: R575‐82). The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of a high multivitamin diet during pregnancy on body weight (BW) and glucose tolerance of the dams and their offspring after both the first and second pregnancy. Wistar rats (n=19) received the AIN‐93G diet with either the required (RV) or 10‐fold amount of multivitamins (HV) during the first pregnancy. After delivery all dams received only the RV diet and were mated again at 12 wk post‐weaning (PW). The offspring from both pregnancies were weaned to the RV diet and followed for 15 wk PW. BW and oral glucose tolerance were measured in the dams and offspring. Dams given the HV diet during the first pregnancy gained more weight at 12 and 20 wk after the first and second litters, respectively. First litter females, but not males, from the HV dams gained less BW than those from RV dams (239±7 vs 271±12g, p=0.03). Second litter males, but not females, from dams given the HV diet during the first pregnancy gained more BW (592±14 vs 539±18g, p=0.04) and had 7% higher glucose response at 4 wk PW. In conclusion, the effects of a high vitamin diet during the first pregnancy persist after the second pregnancy.Grant Funding SourceCIHR‐INMD‐OOP‐77980 and CONACyT to S. Reza