F0 Prenatal/Lactation Diets Varying in Saturated Fat and Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Alters the Insulin Sensitivity of F1 Rats Fed a High Fat Western Diet Postweaning

Previous research has shown that prenatal diets rich in specific nutrients (e.g. taurine, omega-3 fatty acids) may provide protective cardiometabolic effects for adult offspring. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the potential of a prenatal-lactation diet rich in omega-3 longchain polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 LC PUFAs) to improve metabolic function in offspring fed a high saturated fat “Western” diet postweaning. We compared growth and metabolic biomarkers of three groups of Sprague Dawley rat offspring all weaned to a high saturated fat “Western” (Western) diet, but whose mothers were fed one of three different diets during pregnancy-lactation: 1) omega-3 “PUFA”-rich (PUFA/Western); 2) control (Control/Western); and 3) high saturated fat “Western” (Western/Western). PUFA/Western offspring had significantly lower fasting insulin (P < 0.01) and HOMA-IR (P < 0.01), and lower mean plasma triglycerides than Western/ Western animals. Additionally, mean HOMA-IR, fasting plasma insulin, and triglycerides were 19%, 10% and 14% lower, respectively, than those of Control/Western animals, although these differences were not statistically significant. Western/Western adult offspring had the highest fasting plasma insulin, triglycerides, and insulin-resistance (HOMA-IR) of the three groups. Our results indicated that a maternal omega-3 PUFA-rich diet during pregnancy-lactation may provide modest protective metabolic effects for adult offspring, even when consuming a high energy and saturated fat diet.