Comparison of a high saturated fat diet with a high carbohydrate diet during pregnancy and lactation: effects on insulin sensitivity in offspring of rats

Insulin resistance plays a critical role in metabolic syndrome and is influenced by the amount and saturation of dietary fat. Both prenatal over and under nutrition can program susceptibility to insulin resistance. The aim of the study was to explore the impact of dietary fat given to mothers during gestation on the insulin sensitivity of the offspring. Female Wistar rats were fed with diets rich in carbohydrate (CHO) or saturated fat (SAFA) during pregnancy. The male offspring was split into 5 subgroups: groups 1 (control) and 3 continued on CHO or SAFA after birth, respectively. Group 2 with mothers on CHO continued on the CHO diet during the nursing period and changed to SAFA postweaning. Group 4 with mothers on SAFA continued on SAFA during the weaning period and changed to CHO postweaning. For group 5 the offspring of mothers given SAFA diet was changed to nursing mothers on CHO diet immediately after birth and continued on the same diet postweaning. At the age of 16 weeks, a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp was performed. The glucose infusion rate was lowered in the groups receiving the SAFA diet (group 2, 24.7 +/- 2.0 mg/kg per minute; group 3, 22.0 +/- 1.9 mg/kg per minute; P < .05) compared with group 1 (32.2 +/- 2.3 mg/kg per minute). We did not detect any alterations in the rate of glucose disappearance during the clamp for any of the groups compared with group 1. A diet high in SAFA given to mothers during gestation and/or the weaning period does not seem to have deleterious effects on the insulin sensitivity in the offspring.