Maternal high fat diet results in altered body composition in first generation male offspring at weaning but not adulthood

Abstract

Previous research has shown that feeding a high fat diet can result in adverse effects to body composition in male rodents. The potential adverse effects of maternal high fat feeding on body composition of male offspring is less clear. Our study objective was to determine if maternal high fat feeding leads to higher fat mass and lower lean and bone mass in male Wistar offspring at 19 days (weaning) and 3 months of age (young adulthood). Female Wistar rats were randomized to either a control (C, AIN93G, 7% soybean oil by weight, n = 11) or high fat (HF, modified AIN93G, 20% lard by weight, n = 12) diet at 28 days of age. After 10 weeks of feeding, females were bred and consumed their respective diets throughout pregnancy and lactation. Body composition of male offspring was measured using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DEXA) at age 19 days or at 3 months of age. Greater body weight (p < 0.05) and absolute fat (p < 0.001) and bone mass (both bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD); p<0.05) was observed at 19 days in offspring from mothers fed HF compared to C diet. When expressed relative to body weight, fat mass was higher (p <0.001) at 19 days in offspring of mothers fed HF compared to C diet. Interestingly, differences in body weight, fat mass, BMC and BMD were not sustained at young adulthood (age 3 months). The effects at weaning are fully attenuated by 3 months of age when male offspring are fed a ‘healthy’ control diet from weaning onwards.