Impact of maternal diabetes and snack consumption on male and female offspring control of food intake

• Grant number: 19/01306-2
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: June 01, 2019 - November 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition
• Principal Investigator: Ana Carolina Inhasz Kiss
• Grantee: Ana Carolina Inhasz Kiss
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Changes on maternal metabolism and nutrition during pregnancy and lactation can influence the development of offspring central pathways regulating food intake. The effects of maternal diabetes and diet manipulation on offspring control of food intake have been thoroughly studied separately. Nonetheless, there is no evidence of the effects of their association. In addition, most studies only explore the effects on male offspring, while females are often overlooked despite the growing evidence of sex differences on control of food intake. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the impact of maternal diabetes and snack consumption during pregnancy and lactation on male and female offspring control of food intake. Our hypothesis is that snack consumption will aggravate maternal diabetes, which will compromise offspring central control of food intake in a greater degree than seen previously for models of maternal diabetes or high-fat diet alone. Also, we expect that those differences will be followed by changes on neuropeptides involved on food intake control, and that males and females will respond differently to the same treatment. Preliminary data from a pilot project conducted in the laboratory showed that the experimental model of STZ neonatal administration was effective to induce glucose intolerance during pregnancy and that snack consumption exacerbated this effect. Previous studies also show the same treatment has different responses on males and females and the anorectic effects of central insulin infusion are more prominent on offspring of diabetic rats, showing maternal hyperglycemia can impair offspring development of central pathways responsible for control of food intake, reinforcing our hypothesis. (AU)