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High Vitamin Intakes during Pregnancy and Characteristics of Metabolic Syndrome in Wistar Rat Dams and their Offspring

High vitamin (HV), AIN-93G diet with ten-fold the regular amount of vitamins (RV), consumed by pregnant Wistar rats increases characteristics of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in their first litters. Therefore, the effects of the maternal HV-diet on tissue mechanisms regulating insulin resistance in offspring (Part 1) and on characteristics of MetS in the dams and their second litter (L2) offspring (Part 2) were examined. Part 1 (studies 1 and 2) hypothesis was that the maternal HV-diet alters tissue fatty acid (FA) concentrations, expression of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) genes, and their regulation of metabolism in the offspring, favoring insulin resistance. Part 2 (studies 3 and 4) hypothesis was that high-vitamin intakes during the first pregnancy increase weight gain, food intake and markers of MetS in both the dams and their litters. In all experiments, dams were fed the RV or HV-diet. In study 4, a high-folic-acid-diet (HFol, RV+10-fold folic acid) was added. In studies 1 and 2, the offspring were weaned to an obesogenic diet. The HV-diet affected tissue FA concentrations (study 1), increased muscle PPAR-ɑ mRNA levels and uncoupled relationships between hepatic PPAR-γ mRNA levels and insulin resistance (study 2) in male offspring. In study 3, dams fed the HV-diet during the first pregnancy were maintained on the RV-diet and then mated again after 12wk. Their litters were fed the RV-diet. The HV-diet increased weight gain and food intake of both dams and L2, and insulin resistance in their offspring. In study 4, both HV and HFol-diets increased post-weaning weight gain, but differed in their effects on biomarkers of food intake regulation. In conclusion, feeding the HV-diet during the first pregnancy increases post-weaning body weight and food intake in Wistar rat dams, uncouples tissue regulation of glucose metabolism and promotes characteristics of MetS in their litters. Folic acid is not the only vitamin involved.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/32081
Date19 January 2012
CreatorsReza López, Sandra Alicia
ContributorsAnderson, G. Harvey, Ma, David W. L.
Source SetsUniversity of Toronto
Languageen_ca
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis

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