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Animal Models

Effect of high-fat diet on the fatty acid profiles of brain in offspring mice exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus

International Journal of Obesity (2024)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective

Fatty acids play a critical role in the proper functioning of the brain. This study investigated the effects of a high-fat (HF) diet on brain fatty acid profiles of offspring exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Methods

Insulin receptor antagonist (S961) and HF diet were used to establish the GDM animal model. Brain fatty acid profiles of the offspring mice were measured by gas chromatography at weaning and adulthood. Protein expressions of the fatty acid transport pathway Wnt3/β-catenin and the target protein major facilitator superfamily domain-containing 2a (MFSD2a) were measured in the offspring brain by Western blot.

Results

Maternal GDM increased the body weight of male offspring (P < 0.05). In weaning offspring, factorial analysis showed that maternal GDM increased the monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) percentage of the weaning offspring’s brain (P < 0.05). Maternal GDM decreased offspring brain arachidonic acid (AA), but HF diet increased brain linoleic acid (LA) (P < 0.05). Maternal GDM and HF diet reduced offspring brain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and the male offspring had higher DHA than the female offspring (P < 0.05). In adult offspring, factorial analysis showed that HF diet increased brain MUFA in offspring, and male offspring had higher brain MUFA than female offspring (P < 0.05). The HF diet increased brain LA in the offspring. Male offspring had higher level of AA than female offspring (P < 0.05). HF diet reduced DHA in the brains of female offspring. The brain protein expression of β-catenin and MFSD2a in both weaning and adult female offspring was lower in the HF + GDM group than in the CON group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Maternal GDM increased the susceptibility of male offspring to HF diet-induced obesity. HF diet-induced adverse brain fatty acid profiles in both male and female offspring exposed to GDM.

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Fig. 1: Characteristics of the animal model (mean ± SEM).
Fig. 2: The effect of HF on the growth of offspring exposed to maternal GDM (mean ± SEM).
Fig. 3: The effect of HF on the protein expression of Wnt3/β-catenin/MFSD2a in the brain of weaning offspring exposed to maternal GDM (mean ± SEM, n = 6/group).
Fig. 4: The effect of GDM on the protein expression of the Wnt3/β-catenin/MFSD2a signaling pathway in the brain of adult male offspring (mean ± SEM, n = 4/group).

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available in the Mendeley Data repository [https://doi.org/10.17632/725p5xz7yx.1].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China

    Yu Hai-Tao, Xu Wen-Hui, Gong Jia-Yu, Chen Yi-Fei, He Yuan, Chen Shu-Tong, Wu Yan-Yan & Xie Lin

  2. Experimental Teaching Center for Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China

    Liu Guo-Liang

  3. Experimental Teaching Center for Radiation Medicine, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China

    Zhang Hai-Ying

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Contributions

HT Yu conducted the study, analyzed the data and wrote the article;WH Xu, JY Gong and YF Chen feed the animal; Y He, ST Chen, YY Wu measured the fatty acids; GL Liu, HY Zhang: provided essential reagents and materials; L Xie designed the study.

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Correspondence to Xie Lin.

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Yu, HT., Xu, WH., Gong, JY. et al. Effect of high-fat diet on the fatty acid profiles of brain in offspring mice exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus. Int J Obes (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-024-01486-7

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