title: Transgenerational effects of a hypercaloric diet.
abstract: The effects of a maternal hypercaloric diet (HD) during puberty and early adulthood on neuroimmune aspects in offspring were investigated. In female rats of the F0generation and male rats of the F1generation, bodyweight (BW) gain, retroperitoneal fat (RPF) weight, the number of hypodermic adipocytes (HAs) and expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were measured in hypothalamic astrocytes. On Postnatal Day 50, the F1pups were challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 100µgkg-1, s.c.) or an equal volume of saline (S), and behaviour in the open field test was evaluated, as were plasma neuropeptide and cytokine concentrations. The maternal HD caused the female F0rats to become overweight. The F1offspring of dams fed the HD and challenged with saline (HDS group) exhibited increases in BW gain, RPF weight and in the number of large HAs and a decrease in GFAP immunoreactivity. F1offspring of dams fed the HD and challenged with LPS (HDLPS group) exhibited decreases in BW gain, RPF weight and GFAP immunoreactivity, but no differences were observed in the number of larger and small HAs. Plasma tumour necrosis factor-α concentrations were high in the HDS and HDLPS groups. Thus, the maternal HD during puberty and early adulthood caused the F1generation to become overweight despite the fact that they received a normocaloric diet. These results indicate a transgenerational effect of the HD that may occur, in part, through permanent changes in immune system programming. The attenuation of neuroinflammation biomarkers after LPS administration may have resulted in a decrease in the number of adipocytes, which, in turn, reduced cytokine, adipokine and chemokine levels, which are able to recruit inflammatory cells in adipose tissue.
authors: Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Paulista University (UNIP), Rua Dr Bacelar, 1212, São Paulo, SP, 04026-002, Brazil.
authors: A O
authors: AO
authors: Joaquim
authors: Graduate Program of Animal Medicine and Welfare, University of Santo Amaro, Rua Enéas de Siqueira Neto, 340, São Paulo, SP, 04829-900, Brazil.
authors: C P
authors: CP
authors: Coelho
authors: Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Paulista University (UNIP), Rua Dr Bacelar, 1212, São Paulo, SP, 04026-002, Brazil.
authors: P Dias
authors: PD
authors: Motta
authors: Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Paulista University (UNIP), Rua Dr Bacelar, 1212, São Paulo, SP, 04026-002, Brazil.
authors: E F
authors: EF
authors: Bondan
authors: Mathematics, Computing and Cognition Center, Federal University of ABC, Av. dos Estados, 5001, Santo André, SP, 09210-971, Brazil.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Teodorov
authors: Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Paulista University (UNIP), Rua Dr Bacelar, 1212, São Paulo, SP, 04026-002, Brazil.
authors: M F M
authors: MFM
authors: Martins
authors: Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Paulista University (UNIP), Rua Dr Bacelar, 1212, São Paulo, SP, 04026-002, Brazil.
authors: T B
authors: TB
authors: Kirsten
authors: Graduate Program of Dentistry, Paulista University, UNIP, Rua Dr Bacelar, 1212, São Paulo, SP, 04026-002, Brazil.
authors: R C V
authors: RCV
authors: Casarin
authors: Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Paulista University (UNIP), Rua Dr Bacelar, 1212, São Paulo, SP, 04026-002, Brazil.
authors: L V
authors: LV
authors: Bonamin
authors: Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Paulista University (UNIP), Rua Dr Bacelar, 1212, São Paulo, SP, 04026-002, Brazil.
authors: M M
authors: MM
authors: Bernardi
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D005260:Female; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology