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

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

MODO VIRTUAL

Congreso; LATIN AMERICAN DOHaD 2020. One World One Health. On the Web.; 2020

Background: Maternalprogramming of metabolic alterations is considered a cause for the worldwideincrease in obesity. Maternal obesity induces anomalies in fetuses andplacentas that precede the programming of metabolic derangements in theoffspring. Moreover, fetal liver lipid overaccumulation is a clear predictor offatty liver later in life. Butyrate is a short chain fatty acid (SCFA) productof fiber metabolism from the intestinal microbiota. This SCFA improves lipidand glucose homeostasis and protects gut barrier function. Our aim was toevaluate whether maternal administration of butyrate during gestation preventsthe development of macrosomia and liver lipid overaccumulation in fetuses fromoverweight rats. Methods: FemaleWistar rats were fed with standard (CT rats) or standard supplemented withsaturated fat diet (28% fat) since they were 6 week-old (FD rats). After 8weeks, they were mated with control males. Sodium butyrate (3%) or vehicle, wasorally delivered daily during gestation (FDB rats). Control, FDB, and FD ratswere euthanized at 21 days of gestation, fetuses, maternal and fetal livers andplacentas were explanted and weighed. Maternal and fetal plasma was obtained bydecapitation. Plasma glucose, triglycerides (TG) and cholesterol levels wereassessed by colorimetric assays. Maternal and fetal liver lipid levels(Phospholipids (PL), Free fatty acids (FFA), Cholesterol (Ch), TG andCholesterol Esters (Ch E)) were assessed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) andmaternal hepatic mRNA levels of genes involved in lipid metabolism wereassessed by RT-qPCR.Results: Maternal TGwere increased in plasma from FD rats (36% p