A maternal diet enriched in saturated fat programs alterations in intestinal permeability related to metabolic pathologies in rat fetuses and offspring

HEINECKE, MARÍA FLORENCIA; JAWERBAUM, ALICIA; GOMEZ RIBOT, DALMIRO; WHITE, VERÓNICA; FORNES, DAIANA

Mar del Plata

Congreso; LXIII Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica; 2018

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica

Maternal programming of metabolic alterations is a cause for the worldwide increase in obesity. The intestine plays an important role in metabolic homeostasis. It regulates the absorption of nutrients and precludes microbiota and small-inflammatory substances from entering the organism, thus preventing systemic infection and inflammation. Moreover, intestine integrity prevents low-grade inflammation to enter the porta system, inducing fatty liver disease. Our aim was to evaluate potential alterations in the expression of claudin-3, a protein involved in tight junctions and therefore in epithelial barrier integrity, in the intestine of fetuses and offspring, and to analyze intestinal permeability in the offspring from rats fed with a saturated fat-enriched diet. Methods: Female Wistar rats were fed with standard or saturated fat diet (28% fat) since they were 6 week-old (SFD rats). After 8 weeks, they were mated with control males. Control and SFD rats were euthanized at 21 days of gestation or allowed to deliver for further evaluation of their offspring at 140 days of age. Fetal and offspring intestines were obtained. Protein levels and localization of Claudin-3 were assessed in intestines from fetuses by immunohistochemistry and by Western Blot in the offspring. Permeability was assessed by the ability of precluding 40KDa-FITC from crossing the intestinal lumen. Circulating transaminases levels as markers of liver function, were assessed by a commercial colorimetric assay. Intestine claudin-3 levels were reduced in the fetuses (30% p