Development and neurobehavioral effects of perinatal exposure to diets with different omega-6:omega-3 ratios in mice.

SANTILLÁN ME; VINCENTI LM; MARTINI AC; FIOL DE CUNEO M; RUIZ RD; MANGEAUD A; STUTZ G

NUTRITION

ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC

Año: 2010 vol. 26 p. 423 - 431

0899-9007

Objective: to investigate in mice the effect of diets enriched with soy or sunflower oil with different n-6:n-3 ratios, upon gestation, reproductive success, physical maturation and the neurobiological development of the pups. Methods: Dams were assigned, throughout gestation and lactation, to different groups: commercial diet (CD), soy oil (SOD) or sunflower oil (SFOD) enriched diets. Measurements during gestation: mother?s body weight and daily food intake. Measurements in the offspring: physical parameters (body weight, length and body mass index, fur appearance, pinna detachment, incisor eruption, eye opening, puberty onset) and behavioral preweaning tests (surface righting reflex, negative geotaxis and cliff avoidance). Results: SOD and SFOD dams became significantly heavier than CD from gestational day (GD)14 and GD19 respectively, to parturition. There were no significant differences in gestational length or food consumption during pregnancy or lactation or in maternal weight during lactation. Diets did not modify litter size, sex ratio or survival index at weaning, or body weight. SFOD and SOD offspring were significantly shorter than CD at weaning. The mean offspring physical score of SOD and SFOD were higher than CD and simple reflexes were earlier in both enriched diets. In SFOD, puberty onset was significantly delayed, at postnatal days 26 and 27 in male and female offspring respectively. Conclusions: this study suggests that the maintenance of an adequate n-6:n-3 ratio is necessary for the optimal growth and development of murine offspring. In populations which do not have sufficient provision of PUFAs in the diet, their consumption would be advisable during gestation and lactation since they improve most of the neurodevelopmental outcomes included in this study.