Exercise in obese female rats has beneficial effects on maternal and male and female offspring metabolism.
BACKGROUND
Maternal obesity (MO) impairs maternal and offspring health. Mechanisms and interventions to prevent adverse maternal and offspring outcomes need to be determined. Human studies are confounded by socio-economic status providing the rationale for controlled animal data on effects of maternal exercise (MEx) intervention on maternal (F0) and offspring (F1) outcomes in MO.


OBJECTIVE
MO produces metabolic and endocrine dysfunction, increases maternal and offspring glucocorticoid exposure, oxidative stress and adverse offspring outcomes by postnatal day (PND) 36. MEx in part prevents these outcomes.


METHODS
F0 female rats ate either control or obesogenic diet from weaning through lactation. Half of each group wheel ran (from day 90 of life through pregnancy beginning day 120) providing four groups (n=8/group)--(i) controls, (ii) obese, (iii) exercised controls and (iv) exercised obese. After weaning, PND 21, F1 offspring ate a control diet. Metabolic parameters of F0 prepregnancy and end of lactation and F1 offspring at PND 36 were analyzed.


RESULTS
Exercise did not change maternal weight. Before breeding, MO elevated F0 glucose, insulin, triglycerides, cholesterol, leptin, fat and oxidative stress. Exercise completely prevented the triglyceride rise and partially increases glucose, insulin, cholesterol and oxidative stress. MO decreased fertility, recovered by exercise. At the end of lactation, exercise returned all metabolic variables except leptin to control levels. Exercise partially prevented MO elevated corticosterone. F1 offspring weights were similar at birth. At PND 36, MO increased F1 male but not female offspring leptin, triglycerides and fat mass. In controls, exercise reduced male and female offspring glucose, prevented the offspring leptin increase and partially the triglyceride rise.


CONCLUSIONS
MEx before and during pregnancy has beneficial effects on the maternal and offspring metabolism and endocrine function occurring with no weight change in mothers and offspring indicating the importance of body composition rather than weight in evaluations of metabolic status.
1] Department of Reproductive Biology, National Institute of Medical Science and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico [2] Biological Science School, Polytechnic National Institute, Mexico City, Mexico.
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CC
Vega
Department of Reproductive Biology, National Institute of Medical Science and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
L A
LA
Reyes-Castro
Department of Reproductive Biology, National Institute of Medical Science and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
C J
CJ
Bautista
Department of Reproductive Biology, National Institute of Medical Science and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Larrea
Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Research, Department of Obstetrics, University of Texas Health Sciences Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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PW
Nathanielsz
Department of Reproductive Biology, National Institute of Medical Science and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Zambrano
D050154:Adiposity; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D005260:Female; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D007774:Lactation / Q000378:metabolism*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014886:Weaning
D001786:Blood Glucose; D020738:Leptin