Abstract
Peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) play an important role in the
regulation of lipid metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects
of a maternal high-fat (HF) diet on serum lipid concentration and PPAR gene expression
in liver and adipose tissue in the early life of the rat offspring. Female Sprague-Dawley
rats were fed either an HF or control (CON) diet 6 weeks before mating and throughout
gestation and lactation. Blood and tissue samplings of male offspring were carried
out at birth or weaning. Birth weights were similar and serum triglyceride (TG) and
nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels showed no significant difference between HF
and CON newborns, despite greatly increased hepatic PPARα mRNA expression in the HF
newborns (p<0.05). Both HF newborns and weanlings revealed significantly decreased
hepatic PPARγ expression compared with controls (p<0.0001). Hepatic PPARα expression
in the HF weanlings was reduced markedly compared with CON weanlings (p<0.0001) and
showed a negative correlation with serum TG levels (r=−0.743, p<0.05). However, epididymal
expression of PPARγ in the HF weanlings was upregulated significantly compared with
controls (p<0.05) and demonstrated a positive correlation with epididymal fat mass
(r=0.733, p<0.05). These were accompanied by obesity as well as a rise in serum TG
by 79% (p<0.05) and NEFA concentration by 36% (p<0.05) in these HF weanlings. Our
findings suggest that maternal HF diet leads to alterations in PPAR gene expression
in the weanling offspring, which is associated with the disturbed lipid homeostasis.
References
Correspondence
lrs0701@hama-med.ac
