Sex-specific effects of maternal dietary carbohydrate quality on fetal development and offspring metabolic phenotype in mice

ObjectivesIn utero glycemia is an important determinant of fetal growth. Women with gestational diabetes are more likely to deliver large-for-gestational age babies that are at increased risk for obesity. The maternal nutritional state modulates the development of offspring biological systems during...

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Main Authors: G. Jean Campbell, Sophie G. Lucic Fisher, Amanda E. Brandon, Alistair M. Senior, Kim S. Bell-Anderson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Nutrition
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.917880/full
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author G. Jean Campbell
Sophie G. Lucic Fisher
Amanda E. Brandon
Alistair M. Senior
Kim S. Bell-Anderson
author_facet G. Jean Campbell
Sophie G. Lucic Fisher
Amanda E. Brandon
Alistair M. Senior
Kim S. Bell-Anderson
author_sort G. Jean Campbell
collection DOAJ
description ObjectivesIn utero glycemia is an important determinant of fetal growth. Women with gestational diabetes are more likely to deliver large-for-gestational age babies that are at increased risk for obesity. The maternal nutritional state modulates the development of offspring biological systems during the critical periods of gestation and lactation. Carbohydrate typically contributes most of the dietary energy, however, there are very few mechanistic studies investigating the effects of maternal dietary carbohydrate quality on fetal and offspring outcomes. Therefore, we sought to investigate the direct effects of maternal carbohydrate quality on sex-specific offspring metabolic programming.MethodsFemale C57BL/6 mice were fed one of five isocaloric diets: four high-sugar diets based on glucose, sucrose, isomaltulose or fructose (all containing 60% energy as carbohydrate), or a standard, minimally processed, chow diet, and were mated with chow-fed males. Half of the dams were sacrificed for fetus dissection and placental collection, with the remaining giving live birth. All dams were metabolically profiled before and during pregnancy, and pups were similarly profiled at 12 weeks of age.ResultsOverall, glucose-fed dams were heavier and fatter than chow or isomaltulose-fed dams. Female fetuses from glucose and isomaltulose-fed mothers weighed less and had smaller livers, than those from chow-fed mothers, with isomaltulose-fed female fetuses also having decreased placental mass. In contrast, male fetuses responded differently to the maternal diets, with heart mass being significantly increased when their mothers were fed fructose-containing diets, that is, sucrose, isomaltulose and fructose. High-sugar fed female offspring weighed the same, but were significantly fatter, than chow-fed offspring at 12 weeks of age, while glucose and isomaltulose-fed male pups displayed a similar phenotype to their mothers’.ConclusionWhile both glucose and isomaltulose diets constrained fetal growth in females, only placentas from isomaltulose-fed dams were significantly smaller than those from chow-fed mothers, suggesting the mechanisms through which fetal growth is reduced may be different. Female fetuses of isomaltulose-fed mothers were also lighter than sucrose-fed fetuses suggesting the glycemic index, or rate of glucose digestion and absorption, may be an important factor in determining nutrient availability to the growing fetus.
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spelling doaj.art-bbe807b2ea7e495b82e481d0892e96942022-12-22T04:36:40ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nutrition2296-861X2022-07-01910.3389/fnut.2022.917880917880Sex-specific effects of maternal dietary carbohydrate quality on fetal development and offspring metabolic phenotype in miceG. Jean Campbell0Sophie G. Lucic Fisher1Amanda E. Brandon2Alistair M. Senior3Kim S. Bell-Anderson4Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaCharles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaCharles Perkins Centre and Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaCharles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaCharles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaObjectivesIn utero glycemia is an important determinant of fetal growth. Women with gestational diabetes are more likely to deliver large-for-gestational age babies that are at increased risk for obesity. The maternal nutritional state modulates the development of offspring biological systems during the critical periods of gestation and lactation. Carbohydrate typically contributes most of the dietary energy, however, there are very few mechanistic studies investigating the effects of maternal dietary carbohydrate quality on fetal and offspring outcomes. Therefore, we sought to investigate the direct effects of maternal carbohydrate quality on sex-specific offspring metabolic programming.MethodsFemale C57BL/6 mice were fed one of five isocaloric diets: four high-sugar diets based on glucose, sucrose, isomaltulose or fructose (all containing 60% energy as carbohydrate), or a standard, minimally processed, chow diet, and were mated with chow-fed males. Half of the dams were sacrificed for fetus dissection and placental collection, with the remaining giving live birth. All dams were metabolically profiled before and during pregnancy, and pups were similarly profiled at 12 weeks of age.ResultsOverall, glucose-fed dams were heavier and fatter than chow or isomaltulose-fed dams. Female fetuses from glucose and isomaltulose-fed mothers weighed less and had smaller livers, than those from chow-fed mothers, with isomaltulose-fed female fetuses also having decreased placental mass. In contrast, male fetuses responded differently to the maternal diets, with heart mass being significantly increased when their mothers were fed fructose-containing diets, that is, sucrose, isomaltulose and fructose. High-sugar fed female offspring weighed the same, but were significantly fatter, than chow-fed offspring at 12 weeks of age, while glucose and isomaltulose-fed male pups displayed a similar phenotype to their mothers’.ConclusionWhile both glucose and isomaltulose diets constrained fetal growth in females, only placentas from isomaltulose-fed dams were significantly smaller than those from chow-fed mothers, suggesting the mechanisms through which fetal growth is reduced may be different. Female fetuses of isomaltulose-fed mothers were also lighter than sucrose-fed fetuses suggesting the glycemic index, or rate of glucose digestion and absorption, may be an important factor in determining nutrient availability to the growing fetus.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.917880/fullmaternal dietglycemic indexcarbohydrate qualitymetabolismmice
spellingShingle G. Jean Campbell
Sophie G. Lucic Fisher
Amanda E. Brandon
Alistair M. Senior
Kim S. Bell-Anderson
Sex-specific effects of maternal dietary carbohydrate quality on fetal development and offspring metabolic phenotype in mice
Frontiers in Nutrition
maternal diet
glycemic index
carbohydrate quality
metabolism
mice
title Sex-specific effects of maternal dietary carbohydrate quality on fetal development and offspring metabolic phenotype in mice
title_full Sex-specific effects of maternal dietary carbohydrate quality on fetal development and offspring metabolic phenotype in mice
title_fullStr Sex-specific effects of maternal dietary carbohydrate quality on fetal development and offspring metabolic phenotype in mice
title_full_unstemmed Sex-specific effects of maternal dietary carbohydrate quality on fetal development and offspring metabolic phenotype in mice
title_short Sex-specific effects of maternal dietary carbohydrate quality on fetal development and offspring metabolic phenotype in mice
title_sort sex specific effects of maternal dietary carbohydrate quality on fetal development and offspring metabolic phenotype in mice
topic maternal diet
glycemic index
carbohydrate quality
metabolism
mice
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.917880/full
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AT amandaebrandon sexspecificeffectsofmaternaldietarycarbohydratequalityonfetaldevelopmentandoffspringmetabolicphenotypeinmice
AT alistairmsenior sexspecificeffectsofmaternaldietarycarbohydratequalityonfetaldevelopmentandoffspringmetabolicphenotypeinmice
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