The Benefits of Switching to a Healthy Diet on Metabolic, Cognitive, and Gut Microbiome Parameters Are Preserved in Adult Rat Offspring of Mothers Fed a High-Fat, High-Sugar Diet.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether switching from an unhealthy postweaning diet to a healthy diet could reverse adverse metabolic, microbial, and cognitive effects in offspring born to obese dams.
Results Summary
The diet switch reduced body weight and adiposity, improved place recognition memory, increased gut microbiota species richness, and altered β diversity, with benefits preserved in offspring of obese dams. However, adiposity remained higher than in chow-fed controls.
Population
Rat offspring (male and female) born to dams fed standard chow or a high-fat, high-sugar diet.
Effective Dosage
Not specified (diet switch from high-fat, high-sugar to standard chow).
Duration
5 weeks post-switch (total study duration: 22 weeks + 5 weeks).
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
diet switch intervention (Caf to chow) | decrease | body weight | Caf-fed groups (rat offspring) | - | fall | #1 |
diet switch intervention (Caf to chow) | decrease | adiposity | Caf-fed groups (rat offspring) | - | fall | #2 |
diet switch intervention (Caf to chow) | increase | place recognition memory | Caf-fed groups (rat offspring) | - | improves a deficit | #3 |
diet switch intervention (Caf to chow) | increase | gut microbiota species richness | Caf-fed groups (rat offspring) | - | increases | #4 |
diet switch intervention (Caf to chow) | neutral | gut microbiota β diversity | Caf-fed groups (rat offspring) | - | alters | #5 |
maternal obesity | no change | switching diet on metabolic, microbial, or cognitive measures | offspring born to obese dams | - | does not alter the effects | #6 |
healthy diet intervention | neutral | body weight | offspring born to obese dams | - | lead to major shifts | #7 |
healthy diet intervention | neutral | adiposity | offspring born to obese dams | - | lead to major shifts | #8 |
healthy diet intervention | neutral | place recognition memory | offspring born to obese dams | - | lead to major shifts | #9 |
healthy diet intervention | neutral | gut microbiota composition | offspring born to obese dams | - | lead to major shifts | #10 |
SCOPE: Maternal obesity increases the risk of health complications in children, highlighting the need for effective interventions. A rat model of maternal obesity to examine whether a diet switch intervention could reverse the adverse effects of an unhealthy postweaning diet is used. METHODS AND RESULTS: Male and female offspring born to dams fed standard chow or a high-fat, high-sugar "cafeteria" (Caf) diet are weaned onto chow or Caf diets until 22 weeks of age, when Caf-fed groups are switched to chow for 5 weeks. Adiposity, gut microbiota composition, and place recognition memory are assessed before and after the switch. Body weight and adiposity fall in switched groups but remain significantly higher than chow-fed controls. Nonetheless, the diet switch improves a deficit in place recognition memory observed in Caf-fed groups, increases gut microbiota species richness, and alters β diversity. Modeling indicate that adiposity most strongly predicts gut microbiota composition before and after the switch. CONCLUSION: Maternal obesity does not alter the effects of switching diet on metabolic, microbial, or cognitive measures. Thus, a healthy diet intervention lead to major shifts in body weight, adiposity, place recognition memory, and gut microbiota composition, with beneficial effects preserved in offspring born to obese dams.