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Effects of a high-fat diet during pregnancy and lactation are modulated by E. coli in rat offspring

International Journal of Obesity volume 36, pages 744–751 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

Microbial manipulations in early life can affect gut development and inflammatory status of the neonate. The maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation also influences the health of the offspring, but the impact of maternal high-fat (HF) feeding along with modulations of the gut microbiota on body weight, fat deposition and gut function in the offspring has been poorly studied.

Methods:

Rat dams were given access to either an HF or a standard low-fat diet during the last 2 weeks of pregnancy and during lactation and effects on body weight and gastrointestinal function were investigated in the 14-day-old offspring. To elucidate whether bacterial administration to the dam could modulate any effects of the diets in the rat pups, another group of dams were given Escherichia coli in their drinking water.

Results:

Maternal HF feeding resulted in increased body and fat pad weights in the offspring, along with increased levels of the acute-phase protein, haptoglobin and decreased protein content and disaccharidase activities in the small intestine. The addition of E. coli further accentuated these responses in the young rats, which, in addition to higher body weights and increased fat deposition, also showed an increased intestinal permeability and elevated levels of haptoglobin.

Conclusions:

The present study demonstrates for the first time how bacterial administration to the maternal diet during the neonatal period can affect body weight and fat deposition in the offspring. The results point to a mechanistic link between the gut microbiota, increased intestinal permeability and metabolic endotoxemia, which appear to have led to increased adiposity in the young rats.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Mrs Camilla Björklöv for excellent analyses of the intestinal permeability and pancreatic enzymology and for animal care. We also thank Dr Fredrik Bäckhed for critical reading of the manuscript and useful comments. The Swedish research council Formas (Grant 2004-808-2545-30), the Direktör Albert Påhlsson Foundation and the Johanna Andersson Foundation are greatly acknowledged for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska Center for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research/Wallenberg Laboratory, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    F Fåk

  2. Department of Food Technology, Food Hygiene, Engineering and Nutrition, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    C L J Karlsson, S Ahrné & G Molin

  3. Department of Cell and Organism Biology, Animal Physiology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    B Weström

Authors
  1. F Fåk
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  2. C L J Karlsson
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  3. S Ahrné
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  4. G Molin
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  5. B Weström
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to F Fåk.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Author contributions

FF designed and carried out the studies and involved in data analyses and drafted the manuscript. CK designed and carried out the studies, involved in part of the data analyses and revised the manuscript. SA, GM and BW participated in the study design, interpreted the data and revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Fåk, F., Karlsson, C., Ahrné, S. et al. Effects of a high-fat diet during pregnancy and lactation are modulated by E. coli in rat offspring. Int J Obes 36, 744–751 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.118

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.118

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