title: MATERNAL AND POST-WEANING EXPOSURE TO A HIGH FAT DIET PROMOTES VISCERAL OBESITY AND HEPATIC STEATOSIS IN ADULT RATS.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  considering the frequent consumption of fat-rich diets by women of reproductive age, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of maternal consumption of a high-fat diet during the perinatal and/ or post-weaning period on the liver parameters and lipid metabolism of young rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Wistar female rats were fed a high-fat (H) or control (C) diet during pregnancy and lactation. The offspring were allocated to four groups: Control Control (CC, n = 11), offspring fed a control diet after weaning; Control High-fat (CH, n = 10), offspring fed a high-fat diet after weaning; High-fat High-fat (HH, n = 10), offspring of mothers H fed a high-fat diet after weaning; and High-fat Control (HC, n = 9), offspring of mothers H fed with control diet after weaning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the food intake did not differ among the groups, however, the relative weight of the adipose tissue was higher in animals from the HC, HH and CH groups (p ≤ 0.005). Liver steatosis was found in the CH and HH animals, which also exhibited hypercholesterolemia (p ≤ 0.05). The levels of the liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) were higher in the HH group, and the LDL level was higher in the CH group compared to the CC. The consumption of an obesogenic diet during critical periods of development may contribute to the occurrence of visceral obesity, liver steatosis and hypercholesterolemia in adult rats, even in the absence of changes in dietary intake.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Bahia, School of Nutrition, Department of Food Science, Graduate Program in Food, Nutrition and Health.. perezgds@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: dos Santos Perez
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Bahia, School of Nutrition, Department of Food Science, Graduate Program in Food, Nutrition and Health.. perezgds@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lucimeire
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santana dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Bahia, School of Nutrition, Department of Food Science, Graduate Program in Food, Nutrition and Health.. perezgds@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: dos Santos Cordeiro
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Bahia, Faculty of Dentistry - Department of Integrated Clinic and Propedeutics.. perezgds@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gardênia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Matos Paraguassú
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Bahia, School of Medicine.. perezgds@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abensur Athanazio
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Bahia, School of Pharmacy.. perezgds@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ricardo David
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Couto
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Bahia, School of Nutrition, Department of Food Science, Graduate Program in Food, Nutrition and Health.. perezgds@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tereza Cristina
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Bonfim de Jesus Deiró
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Pernambuco, Department of Nutrition. Brazil.. perezgds@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manhães de Castro
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Bahia, School of Nutrition, Department of Food Science, Graduate Program in Food, Nutrition and Health.. perezgds@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jairza Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Barreto-Medeiros
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014886:Weaning