title: Effects of high-fat diet exposure during fetal life on type 2 diabetes development in the progeny.
abstract: Nutrition during fetal life is a critical factor contributing to diabetes development in adulthood. The aim of our study was to verify: 1) whether a high-fat (HF) diet in young adult mice induces alterations in beta-cell mass, proliferation, neogenesis, and apoptosis, as well as insulin sensitivity and secretion; 2) whether these alterations may be reversible after HF diet suspension; 3) the effects in a first (F1) and second generation (F2) of mice without direct exposure to a HF diet after birth. Type 2 diabetes developed in adult mice on a HF diet, in F1 mice that were HF diet-exposed during fetal or neonatal life, and in F2 mice whose mothers were HF diet-exposed during their fetal life. beta-cell mass, replication, and neogenesis were high in HF diet-exposed mice and decreased after diet suspension. beta-cell mass and replication remained high in F1 mice and decreased in F2 mice whose mothers were exposed to a HF diet. beta-cell neogenesis was present in adult mice on a HF diet and in F1 mice that were HF diet-exposed during fetal and/or neonatal life. We conclude that a HF diet during fetal life, particularly if combined with the same insult during the suckling period, can induce the type 2 diabetes phenotype, which can be directly transmitted to the progeny even in the absence of additional dietary insults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Università Cattolica S. Cuore, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gniuli
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calcagno
authors.forename: Maria Emiliana
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Caristo
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mancuso
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Macchi
authors.forename: Geltrude
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mingrone
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vettor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000209:etiology*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D010179:Pancreas / Q000196:embryology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats