title: A Maternal Low-Fiber Diet Predisposes Offspring to Improved Metabolic Phenotypes in Adulthood in an Herbivorous Rodent.
abstract: The maternal or paternal dietary composition can have important effects on various aspects of their offspring's physiology. Studies from animal models and humans showed that a maternal high-fiber diet protected offspring against fat accumulation. However, little is known about how a maternal low-fiber diet modifies the metabolism of offspring in herbivorous rodents. We hypothesized that a maternal low-fiber diet would confer long-lasting beneficial effects on offspring metabolic phenotypes in herbivorous Brandt's vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii). Female voles were fed either a control (12.4% fiber) or a low-fiber (3.5% fiber) diet throughout pregnancy and lactation, and all offspring were fed the control diet after weaning till 14 wk old. Offspring were sampled from each litter at 18 d and 14 wk of age. Another subset of adult offspring at 15 wk of age was fed a high-fat diet for 8 wk. We found that there was no difference in litter size, litter mass, or pup mass before weaning between the two maternal diet groups. Offspring from the maternal low-fiber diet increased energy intake, body mass, and lean mass; suppressed fat accumulation; and improved glucose tolerance compared with those from the control diet. Moreover, the maternal low-fiber diet alleviated high-fat diet-induced obesity in the adult offspring. Serum leptin concentration and uncoupling protein 1 content in brown adipose tissue of offspring were not affected by a maternal low-fiber diet. We demonstrate that herbivorous females fed a low-fiber diet during pregnancy and lactation may predispose their offspring to accelerated growth of lean tissue, which may increase the opportunity for survival and reproduction in offspring.
authors.forename: Xue-Ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Mei-Fang
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Rong-Shu
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: De-Hua
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition; D001835:Body Weight; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
keywords: energy intake; leptin; maternal low-fiber diet; offspring; thermogenesis