Maternal obesity during lactation may protect offspring from high fat diet-induced metabolic dysfunction

• Published in: Nutrition & diabetes Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 18 - 13
• Main Authors: Monks, Jenifer, Orlicky, David J., Stefanski, Adrianne L., Libby, Andrew E., Bales, Elise S., Rudolph, Michael C., Johnson, Ginger C., Sherk, Vanessa D., Jackman, Matthew R., Williamson, Kayla, Carlson, Nichole E., MacLean, Paul S., McManaman, James L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 25-04-2018; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 13/51; 38/77; 631/443/319; 64/60; 692/163/2743; Adipose Tissue - pathology; Animals; Breast Feeding; Clinical Nutrition; Diabetes; Diet; Diet, High-Fat - adverse effects; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Disease Models, Animal; Epidemiology; Fatty Liver - etiology; Fatty Liver - prevention & control; Feeding Behavior; Female; Internal Medicine; Lactation; Male; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Metabolic Diseases - etiology; Metabolic Diseases - prevention & control; Metabolism; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Milk; Mothers; Obesity; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Sex Factors; Weight Gain
• ISSN: 2044-4052; 2044-4052
• DOI: 10.1038/s41387-018-0027-z

Background/Objectives
The current obesity epidemic has spurred exploration of the developmental origin of adult heath and disease. A mother’s dietary choices and health can affect both the early wellbeing and lifelong disease-risk of the offspring.
Subjects/Methods
To determine if changes in the mother’s diet and adiposity have long-term effects on the baby’s metabolism,
independently
from a prenatal insult, we utilized a mouse model of diet-induced-obesity and cross-fostering. All pups were born to lean dams fed a low fat diet but were fostered onto lean or obese dams fed a high fat diet. This study design allowed us to discern the effects of a poor diet from those of mother’s adiposity and metabolism. The weaned offspring were placed on a high fat diet to test their metabolic function.
Results
In this feeding challenge, all male (but not female) offspring developed metabolic dysfunction. We saw increased weight gain in the pups nursed on an obesity-resistant dam fed a high fat diet, and increased pathogenesis including liver steatosis and adipose tissue inflammation, when compared to pups nursed on either obesity-prone dams on a high fat diet or lean dams on a low fat diet.
Conclusion
Exposure to maternal over-nutrition, through the milk, is sufficient to shape offspring health outcomes in a sex- and organ-specific manner, and milk from a mother who is obesity-prone may partially protect the offspring from the insult of a poor diet.