Maternal Microbiota Transfer Programs Offspring Eating Behavior

Abstract

Understanding the link between mother’s obesity and regulation of the child’s appetite is a prerequisite for the design of successful preventive strategies. Beyond the possible contributions of genetic heritage, family culture, and hormonal and metabolic environment during pregnancy, we investigate in the present paper the causal role of the transmission of the maternal microbiotas in obesity as microbiotas differ between lean and obese mothers, maternal microbiotas are the main determinants of a baby’s gut colonization, and the intestinal microbiota resulting from the early colonization could impact the feeding behavior of the offspring with short- and long-term consequences on body weight. We thus investigated the potential role of vertical transfers of maternal microbiotas in programming the eating behavior of the offspring. Selectively bred obese-prone (OP)/obese-resistant (OR) Sprague-Dawley dams were used since differences in the cecal microbiota have been evidenced from males of that strain. Microbiota collected from vagina (at the end of gestation), feces, and milk (at postnatal days 1, 5, 10, and 15) of OP/OR dams were orally inoculated to conventional Fischer F344 recipient pups from birth to 15 days of age to create three groups of pups: F-OP, F-OR, and F-Sham group (that received the vehicle). We first checked microbiotal differences between inoculas. We then assessed the impact of transfer (from birth to adulthood) onto the intestinal microbiota of recipients rats, their growth, and their eating behavior by measuring their caloric intake, their anticipatory food reward responses, their preference for sweet and fat tastes in solutions, and the sensations that extend after food ingestion. Finally, we searched for correlation between microbiota composition and food intake parameters. We found that maternal transfer of microbiota differing in composition led to alterations in pups’ gut microbiota composition that did not last until adulthood but were associated with specific eating behavior characteristics that were predisposing F-OP rats to higher risk of over consuming at subsequent periods of their life. These findings support the view that neonatal gut microbiotal transfer can program eating behavior, even without a significant long-lasting impact on adulthood microbiota composition.

Microbiome First Approaches to Rescue Public Health and Reduce Human Suffering

“…Table 2 [96][97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104][105][106][107][108][109][110][111][112] illustrates examples of research into the relationship between taste, food choices, and eating. Other factors such as smell/odor detection, satiety, and addictions follow in subsequent tables.…”

“…What we get from food depends upon what we eat but also on what the microbes do as per extraction and metabolism of the food. Table 2 [ 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 ] illustrates examples of research into the relationship between taste, food choices, and eating. Other factors such as smell/odor detection, satiety, and addictions follow in subsequent tables.…”

“…In an important proof of concept study in rats, Pocheron et al [ 108 ] performed cecocolonic and cecal content microbiota transfer experiments between selectively bred, obese-prone (OP)/obese-resistant (OR) Sprague–Dawley dams into Fischer F344 recipient pups from birth to 15 days of age. F344 sham inoculated pups were also evaluated.…”

Microbiome First Approaches to Rescue Public Health and Reduce Human Suffering

“…What we get from food depends upon what we eat but also on what the microbes do as per extraction and metabolism of the food. Table 2 [96][97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104][105][106][107][108][109][110][111][112] illustrates examples of research into the relationship between taste, food choices, and eating. Other factors such as smell/odor detection, satiety, and addictions follow in subsequent tables.…”

“…In an important proof of concept study in rats, Pocheron et al [108] performed cecocolonic and cecal content microbiota transfer experiments between selectively bred obese-prone (OP)/obese-resistant (OR) Sprague-Dawley dams into l Fischer F344 recipient pups from birth to 15 days of age. F344 sham inoculated pups were also evaluated.…”