Maternal Administration of Sodium Butyrate Prevents Macrosomia and Liver Lipid Overaccumulation in Fetuses from Overweight Rats

HEINECKE, FLORENCIA; JAWERBAUM, ALICIA; CAPOBIANCO, EVANGELINA; FORNES, DAIANA; WHITE, VERÓNICA

Congreso; 4th Meeting of DOHaD Latin American-Chapter; 2020

Embasamento/Background: Maternal programming of metabolic alterations is considered a cause for the worldwide increase in obesity. Maternal obesity induces anomalies in fetuses and placentas that precede the programming of metabolic derangements in the offspring. Moreover, fetal liver lipid overaccumulation is a clear predictor of fatty liver later in life. Butyrate is a short chain fatty acid (SCFA) product of fiber metabolism from the intestinal microbiota. This SCFA improves lipid and glucose homeostasis and protects gut barrier function. Our aim was to evaluate whether maternal administration of butyrate during gestation prevents the development of macrosomia and liver lipidoveraccumulation in fetuses from overweight rats.Métodos/Methods: Female Wistar rats were fed with standard (CT rats) or standard supplemented with saturated fat diet (28% fat) since they were 6 week-old (FD rats). After 8 weeks, they were mated with control males. Sodium butyrate (3%) or vehicle, was orally delivered daily during gestation (FDB rats). Control, FDB, and FD rats were euthanized at 21 days of gestation, fetuses, maternal and fetal livers and placentas were explanted and weighed. Maternal and fetal plasma was obtained by decapitation. Plasma glucose, triglycerides (TG) and cholesterol levels were assessed by colorimetric assays. Maternal and fetal liver lipid levels (Phospholipids (PL), Free fatty acids (FFA), Cholesterol (Ch), TG and Cholesterol Esters (Ch E)) were assessed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and maternal hepatic mRNA levels of genes involved in lipid metabolism were assessed by RT-qPCR.Resultados/Results: Maternal TG were increased in plasma from FD rats (36% p