Effect of hypercaloric diet in fetal programming on energy metabolism and activity of digestive enzymes in rats

Abstract

The adaptive response of animals to food restriction in the early periods of development, known as fetal programming, increases the chances of survival under conditions of poor nutrition. However, when dietary restriction is followed by a diet with higher nutrient availability, there is an increased risk to surge diseases in adulthood such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus, characterizing the occurrence of metabolic disorders. This study aims to evaluate the effect of post-weaning caloric diet on energy metabolism and activity of digestive enzymes in male rats born to mothers who have restricted nutrients during pregnancy and lactation. It will be determined the evolution of body weight, fat deposition in different tissues (liver, carcass, retroperitoneal and gonadal adipose tissue), liver glycogen and plasma levels of insulin and lipids in animals with 3 and 16 weeks of age. In adult animals (16 weeks) will be held also the glucose tolerance test and determined the gene expression of GLUT4 in muscle and adipose tissue. The data observed in 21 days old animals will be compared by Student's t test (p <0.05). For animals at 16 weeks of age the data will be compared by analysis of variance in a 2x2 factorial design, with two levels of nutrition during pregnancy and lactation (ad libitum and restricted) and two levels of diet after weaning (control and hypercaloric diet). (AU)