Postnatal high-fat diet leads to spatial deficit, obesity, and central and peripheral inflammation in prenatal dexamethasone adult offspring rats.
Synthetic glucocorticoids are frequently used in clinical practice for treating pregnant women at risk of preterm delivery, but their long-term effects on the infant brain are largely unknown. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were administered vehicle or dexamethasone between gestational days 14 and 21. Male offspring were then weaned onto either a standard chow or a high-fat diet. The postnatal levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in the plasma, liver, and brain were examined, as well as the possible effects of prenatal dexamethasone on cognition. We found that a postnatal high-fat diet led to spatial deficits detected by the Morris water maze in adult offspring administered dexamethasone prenatally. The spatial deficit was accompanied by decreased IGF-1 mRNA and increased ADMA levels in the dorsal hippocampus. In peripheral systems, a postnatal high-fat diet resulted in decreased plasma IGF-1, increased plasma corticosterone, increased concentrations of transaminases, TNF-α mRNA, and ADMA in the liver, and associated obesity in adult offspring administered prenatal dexamethasone. In conclusion, a postnatal high-fat diet led to spatial deficits, obesity, and altered levels of IGF-1, TNF-α, and ADMA in the plasma, liver, or brain.
aDepartment of Medical Administration, Pu-Li Christian Hospital bDepartment of Applied Chemistry, National Chi-Nan University, Nantou cDepartment of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung dDepartment of Traditional Medicine, Chang Gung University, Linkow, Taiwan.
Chih-Sung
CS
Hsieh
Shih-Wen
SW
Li
Jiunn-Ming
JM
Sheen
Hong-Ren
HR
Yu
Mao-Meng
MM
Tiao
You-Lin
YL
Tain
Chung-Hao
CH
Su
Li-Tung
LT
Huang
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000633:toxicity; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D005260:Female; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C487735:dimethylarginine; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D003907:Dexamethasone; D001120:Arginine