Maternal oral administration of sodium butyrate prevents fetal macrosomia and reduces the expression of lipid transporters in placentas from overweight rats.

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

CABA

Congreso; International Federation of Placenta Associations; 2019

Objective: Maternal obesity/overweight induces anomalies in fetuses and placentas that precede the programming of metabolic derangements in the offspring. Butyrate, a short chain fatty acid product of fiber metabolism from the intestinal microbiota, improves lipid and glucose homeostasis. We aimed to study whether oral administration of butyrate prevents alterations in pregnancy outcomes and ameliorates lipid metabolic anomalies in placentas from overweight rats. Methods: Female rats were fed with standard (CT group) or saturated fat-rich-diet (26 %fat) since they were 6-week old (FD group). After 8 weeks CT and FD rats (15% overweight) were mated with control males. FD pregnant rats were orally treated with 3% sodium butyrate or vehicle daily during gestation (FD+B group). At day 21 of pregnancy the rats were euthanized, fetuses and placentas obtained, and their weight registered. Placental lipid levels were assessed by TLC and mRNA levels of genes involved in feto-placenta lipid transport, by RT-qPCR. Results: FD fetuses were heavier than controls (5% p