Food choices in different reproductive states in the experimental model of gestational diabetes.

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common complications of pregnancy. It is known that inadequate nutrition can worsen GDM and that food preference is an important aspect to guide food intake. The nutrition of pregnant women has an impact on glycemic homeostasis and is an important ally in the treatment of pregnant women with GDM. The study of different aspects of maternal food preference can contribute to a better understanding of food choices and can also serve as a basis for clinical studies that can improve nutritional counseling for women with GDM. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the food preference of rats in different reproductive states in the experimental model of gestational diabetes. To achieve this goal, an experimental model of mild hyperglycemia induced by the administration of streptozocin (STZ) during pregnancy will be used. Part of the rats will receive i.p. injection of STZ diluted in citrate buffer on day 7 of pregnancy (STZ, n=8), while the other females will receive only buffer (Control, n=8). The food preference test will be conducted at 4 different times: before mating, during pregnancy, during lactation and post-lactation. The test will consist of offering 3 types of special diets (hyperglycemic, hyperlipidic, and hyperproteic) for a period of 12 hours and calculating the food preference index for each diet. Our hypothesis is that food preference for the different diets will differ according to the reproductive states, with hyperglycemic dams showing more pronounced changes.