Could preference for palatable foods in neonatally handled rats alter metabolic patterns in adult life?
Previous studies indicate that, in adulthood, neonatally handled rats consume more sweet food than nonhandled rats. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of the chronic exposure to a palatable diet (chocolate) in adult neonatally handled rats. We measured the consumption of foods (standard lab chow and chocolate), body weight gain, abdominal fat deposition, and levels of plasma lipids, glucose, insulin, and corticosterone in adult neonatally handled (10 min/d, first 10 d of life) and nonhandled rats. We found an increased intake of chocolate in handled rats, but this consumption decreased over time. Handled male animals exhibited higher body weight, higher caloric efficiency, and lower triglyceride levels. Nonhandled females that were exposed long-term to the highly caloric diet had increased abdominal fat deposition compared with handled females. Overall female rats had increased abdominal fat deposition, higher total cholesterol and glucose levels, and lower insulin in comparison with males. Interestingly, chocolate consumption diminished the weight of the adrenal glands in both handled and nonhandled animals. These findings suggest that neonatal handling induces a particular metabolic pattern that is sex specific.
da S Benetti
Carla
C
PPG Pediatrics, Department of Biochemistry, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, UFRGS, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. carlabenetti@yahoo.com.br
Silveira
Patrícia P
PP
Portella
André K
AK
Diehl
Luisa A
LA
Nunes
Edelvan
E
de Oliveira
Vanessa S
VS
Dalmaz
Carla
C
Goldani
Marcelo Z
MZ
D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000254:growth & development; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D002099:Cacao; D002182:Candy; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004435:Eating; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006234:Handling, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids; D003345:Corticosterone