Vitamin A Status and Deposition in Neonatal and Weanling Rats Reared by Mothers Consuming Normal and High-Fat Diets with Adequate or Supplemented Vitamin A

Abstract

The circulating level of vitamin A (VA; retinol) was reported to be lower in obese adults. It is unknown if maternal obesity influences the VA status of offspring. The objective of the study was to determine the VA status and deposition of neonatal and weanling rats reared by mothers consuming a normal or high-fat diet (NFD or HFD) with or without supplemented VA. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to an NFD or HFD with 2.6 mg/kg VA. Upon delivery, half of the rat mothers in the NFD or HFD cohort were switched to an NFD or HFD with supplemented VA at 129 mg/kg (NFD+VA and HFD+VA group). The other half remained on their original diet (NFD and HFD group). At postnatal day 14 (P14), P25, and P35, pups (n = 4 or 3/group/time) were euthanized. The total retinol concentration in the serum, liver, visceral white adipose tissue (WAT), and brown adipose tissue (BAT) was measured. At P14, the HFD+VA group showed a significantly lower serum VA than the NFD+VA group. At P25, both the VA concentration and total mass in the liver, WAT, and BAT were significantly higher in the HFD+VA than the NFD+VA group. At P35, the HFD group exhibited a significantly higher VA concentration and mass in the liver and BAT compared with the NFD group. In conclusion, maternal HFD consumption resulted in more VA accumulation in storage organs in neonatal and/or weanling rats, which potentially compromised the availability of VA in circulation, especially under the VA-supplemented condition.

Vitamin A Supplementation during Suckling and Postweaning Periods Attenuates the Adverse Metabolic Effects of Maternal High-Fat Diet Consumption in Sprague-Dawley Rats

“…As presented in our previous publication ( 31 ), the total retinol concentration in the milk separated from rat pups’ stomach was significantly higher in the NFD + VA and HFD + VA groups than in their respective controls (∼20-fold increase; P < 0.05), indicating that rat pups in VA-supplemented groups received significantly more VA. No significant difference was noted between the NFD and the HFD group or between the NFD + VA and the HFD + VA group. The serum total retinol concentration was also significantly ( P < 0.01) higher in the VA-supplemented groups than in the nonsupplemented groups at all 3 time points, confirming the effectiveness of VA supplementation in raising pups’ VA status.…”

“…It may indicate that maternal HFD consumption can potentially compromise the effects of antioxidants in improving redox status. Our previously published data ( 31 ) indicated that the HFD + VA group possessed significantly more VA than the NFD + VA group, supporting the potential role of WAT as a reservoir for dietary lipophilic antioxidants and micronutrients. This was further supported by the significantly positive correlation found between the lipophilic AC and the VA mass in the WAT.…”

“…VA supplementation added to HFD significantly ( P < 0.05) lowered the index, bringing the level back to that in the NFD groups. The data on BW, WAT mass, and BAT mass were presented in table format in our previous publication that addressed a different research question ( 31 ).…”

“…Correlation tests were run between measures of redox status as aforementioned and the concentration or total mass of VA in the same tissue [data published in ( 31 )]. The mass of VA in WAT was found to have a significant positive correlation with the lipophilic AC of the tissue ( r = 0.360, P = 0.046).…”

“…The total retinol concentrations in pups’ serum, WAT, and BAT collected at all 3 time points as well as in milk samples separated from pups’ stomach harvested at P14 were measured by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) (Acquity UPLC System; Waters). These data were published in an article that addressed a different research question ( 31 ). Part of these data will be cited in the Results section as supporting data.…”