Some Effects of Different Dietary Carbohydrates on Pregnancy and Lactation in Rats

Abstract

Female rats were fed from weaning on diets with sucrose, starch, glucose or fructose as the carbohydrate source. Animals were killed at various stages throughout pregnancy and early lactation. Maternal plasma triglycerides (TG), cholesterol, free fatty acids, glucose, insulin and corticosteroids were measured. Lipogenic activity was assayed in the livers, adipose tissue and mammary tissue, and the results compared with those from non-pregnant rats. Insulin, corticosteroids and hepatic lipogenesis were also assayed in the embryos and in newborn pups. Dietary sucrose and fructose produced a significantly higher concentration of plasma TG in the non-pregnant, pregnant and lactating rats than did starch and glucose. All the diets led to an increase in TG concentration at the 20th day of pregnancy, which returned to the original concentration 2 days post-partum. The hypertriglyceridaemia of late pregnancy was accentuated by the feeding of sucrose and fructose. Maternal concentrations of plasma glucose were significantly reduced towards the end of pregnancy in all dietary groups. The replacement of starch by sucrose, or of glucose by fructose, enhanced hepatic lipogenesis. Fructose but not sucrose depressed fat synthesis in the adipose tissue. Hepatic fatty acid synthetase activity was increased in late pregnancy on all diets except that with starch. Late pregnancy intensified hepatic lipogenesis in rats fed sucrose or fructose. The results are discussed in relation to the metabolic changes during pregnancy and to sucrose feeding.

Plasma insulin response in pregnant and non-pregnant rats: Effects of different dietary carbohydrates

“…The considerable elevation of the late 'plateau-like' response of insulin to an increased glucose concentration, which results from sucrose feeding [15], may be involved in producing at least some of the various metabolic changes that are found in animals fed on this diet [1,16]. The fructose moiety in sucrose is thought to be responsible for these changes [3]. Thus in the present study we have also compared fructose and glucose diets.…”

“…Rats on all diets gained weight at the same rate. The average weight gain during the first six weeks on the diets was 140 g. Mating procedures and animal housing conditions have been described previously [3]. The first day of pregnancy was taken as the day when mating occurred.…”

“…In a previous study we examined the effects of different dietary carbohydrates on metabolism in the rat during pregnancy [3]. The aim of the present investigation was to compare, in vivo, the effects of both different dietary carbohydrates and pregnancy on the plasma insulin response to intravenous glucose.…”

Prenatal Exposure to Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and Subsequent Infant and Child Health Effects

“…Previous studies showed that serum TG and fatty acid concentrations were generally higher in pregnant mice and rats than in postpartum animals 15,16,40) . Moreover, exposure to 0.1% dietary DEHP decreased TG, palmitic acid, and oleic acid levels, whereas exposure to 0.05% and 0.1% dietary DEHP and 0.01%, 0.05%, and 0.1% dietary DEHP decreased plasma linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid levels, respectively, in pregnant wild-type mice at gestational day 18 and led to a decreased number of live pups at neonatal day 2 15,16) .…”

Revue bibliographique : Variations quantitatives et métabolisme des lipides dans les tissus adipeux et le foie au cours du cycle gestation-lactation. 1re partie : chez la ratte

“…Toutefois, une restriction alimentaire ralentit les croissances foetale et maternelle (Rosso, 1977 ; Rosso, 1980Rosso, , 1981a (Fain et Scow, 1966 ;Felber et al, 1972 ;Knopp et al, 1973 ;Gillon, 1979 ;Flint et al, 1979 ; Agius et Williamson, 1980a ;Flint et al, 1983). Toutefois d'autres auteurs ont rapporté soit un maintien (Smith, 1973a ;Bourne et al, 1975 ;Flint et al, 1979), soit un ralentissement (Sutter-Dub et al, 1983) Robinson, 1968 ;Hamosh et al, 1970, fig. 6 ; Flint et al, 1979Flint et al, , 1983Gillon, 1979 ;Steingrimsdottir et al, 1980b ;Childs et al, 1981 ;Lasuncion et Herrera, 1981 ;Gray et Greenwood, 1983 ;Champigny et al, 1984).…”