Perinatal and post-weaning exposure to an obesogenic diet promotes greater expression of nuclear factor-κB and tumor necrosis factor-α in white adipose tissue and hypothalamus of adult rats

• Published in: Nutritional neuroscience Vol. 25; no. 3; pp. 502 - 510
• Main Authors: dos Santos, Lucimeire Santana, de Matos, Rhowena Jane Barbosa, Cordeiro, Gabriele dos Santos, dos Santos, Jean Nunes, Perez, Gabriela dos Santos, Gonçalves, Mariane dos Santos, Ribeiro, Ingrid de Oliveira, Barreto Medeiros, Jairza Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 04-03-2022
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue - metabolism; Adipose Tissue, White - metabolism; Animals; Body Weight; Critical period of development; Diet, High-Fat - adverse effects; Female; gene expression; high-fat diet; hypothalamus; Hypothalamus - metabolism; inflammation; Lactation; NF-kappa B - genetics; NF-kappa B - metabolism; Pregnancy; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - genetics; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; Weaning; white adipose tissue; white adipose tissue; inflammation; high-fat diet; rats; gene expression; hypothalamus; Critical period of development
• ISSN: 1028-415X; 1476-8305
• DOI: 10.1080/1028415X.2020.1764291

Aim: To analyze the effects of exposure to a high-fat diet during the perinatal period and after weaning on white adipose tissue accumulation and gene expression of TNF- α and NF- κB.
Method: Wistar female rats were fed with high-fat (H) or control (C) diet during pregnancy and lactation. The offspring were allocated into four groups: Control Control (CC), offspring of mothers GC, fed a control diet after weaning; Control High-fat (CH), offspring of mothers GC, fed a hight-fat diet after weaning; High-fat Control (HC), offspring of mothers GH, fed with control diet after weaning; and High-fat High-fat (HH), offspring of mothers GH, fed a H diet after weaning.
Results: HH and HC groups showed increased body weight compared to CC group and increases in caloric intake, larger amount of white adipose tissue and adipocyte size compared to CC and CH groups. The HH and CH groups showed higher NF-kB expression in white adipose tissue compared to the CC and HC groups, and the HH group also showed higher TNF- α expression. In the hypothalamus, the HH and HC groups exhibited higher TNF- α expression compared to the CC and CH groups.
Conclusion: Perinatal and post-weaning exposure to the high-fat diet increases the amount of white adipose tissue, adipocyte size, and expression of the inflammatory genes TNF-α and NF-kB.