The present study investigated whether male offspring (F2 generation) from female rats (F1 generation) whose mothers (F0 generation) were food restricted during gestation inherit a phenotypic transgenerational tendency towards being overweight and obese in the juvenile period, in the absence of food restriction in the F1/F2 generations. Dams of the F0 generation were 40% food restricted during pregnancy. Bodyweight, the number and size of larger and small hypodermal adipocytes (HAs), total retroperitoneal fat (RPF) weight and the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in periventricular hypothalamic astrocytes (PHAs), as determined by immunohistochemistry, were evaluated in both generations. In the female F1 generation, there was low bodyweight gain only during the juvenile period (30–65 days of age), a decrease in the size of small adipocytes, an increase in the number of small adipocytes, an increase in RPF weight and an increase in GFAP expression in PHAs at 90–95 days of age. In males of the F2 generation at 50 days of age, there was increased bodyweight and RPF weight, and a small number of adipocytes and GFAP expression in PHAs. These data indicate that the phenotypic transgenerational tendency towards being overweight and obese was observed in females (F1) from mothers (F0) that were prenatally food restricted was transmitted to their male offspring.
Faculty Opinions recommendation of Estrogenic suppression of binge-like eating elicited by cyclic food restriction and frustrative-nonreward stress in female rats.
