Maternal exposure to a Western‐style diet causes differences in intestinal microbiota composition and gene expression of suckling mouse pups

Abstract

ScopeThe long‐lasting consequences of nutritional programming during the early phase of life have become increasingly evident. The effects of maternal nutrition on the developing intestine are still underexplored.Methods and resultsIn this study, we observed (1) altered microbiota composition of the colonic luminal content, and (2) differential gene expression in the intestinal wall in 2‐week‐old mouse pups born from dams exposed to a Western‐style (WS) diet during the perinatal period. A sexually dimorphic effect was found for the differentially expressed genes in the offspring of WS diet‐exposed dams but no differences between male and female pups were found for the microbiota composition.Integrative analysis of the microbiota and gene expression data revealed that the maternal WS diet independently affected gene expression and microbiota composition. However, the abundance of bacterial families not affected by the WS diet (Bacteroidaceae, Porphyromonadaceae, and Lachnospiraceae) correlated with the expression of genes playing a key role in intestinal development and functioning (e.g. Pitx2 and Ace2).ConclusionOur data reveal that maternal consumption of a WS diet during the perinatal period alters both gene expression and microbiota composition in the intestinal tract of 2‐week‐old offspring.

Maternal Obesity Programs Offspring Development and Resveratrol Potentially Reprograms the Effects of Maternal Obesity

“…Infants of obese and high gestational weight gain women demonstrate lower concentrations of the genus Bifidobacterium, considered protective bacteria, and higher concentrations of proinflammatory bacteria, including Bacterioides, Clostridium, and Staphylococcus [21]. Similarly, in rodents, consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) or a Western diet prior to and during pregnancy could alter the trajectory of maternal and offspring microbiota [22]. Putative mechanisms of dysbiosis that could lead to obesity might be due to increased energy extraction and storage from ingested nutrients [23].…”

High‐fat diet intake modulates maternal intestinal adaptations to pregnancy and results in placental hypoxia, as well as altered fetal gut barrier proteins and immune markers

“…; Steegenga et al . ). Pregnancy shifts the abundance and type of bacteria that colonize the maternal intestine (Koren et al .…”

“…The relationship between intestinal microbes and host metabolism has become one of most studied factors mediating obesity risk and maternal HFD has been linked to an altered offspring microbiota (Ma et al 2014;Chu et al 2016;Steegenga et al 2017). Pregnancy shifts the abundance and type of bacteria that colonize the maternal intestine (Koren et al 2012) and these shifts have been suggested to contribute to maternal metabolic adaptations and pregnancy outcomes (Koren et al 2012;Goltsman et al 2018).…”

Towards Individualized Use of Probiotics and Prebiotics for Metabolic Syndrome and Associated Diseases Treatment: Does Pathophysiology-Based Approach Work and Can Anticipated Evidence Be Completed?

“…The priority effects important to human health has an origin from the ealy life according to ecological theory and circumstantial evidence [59][60][61]. The mechanisms, conditions and consequences of priority effects that might affect microorganisms in the gut, bacterial community remains highly conserved between corresponding body sites in human hosts, while gene transcription is much more variable [60].…”