Diet enriched in saturated fatty acids induces liver oxidative stress and elicits inflammatory pathways prior to metabolic disruption in perinatal protein undernutrition.

The impact of diets high in saturated fatty acids in individuals who have undergone maternal protein restriction is not clear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that a saturated fatty acid-enriched hyperlipidic diet (HL) affects liver expression of genes of the redox balance and inflammatory pathway in postweaning rat offspring subjected to maternal protein restriction. Pregnant Wistar rats received either a control (C; 19% protein) or low protein (LP; 8% protein) diet during gestation and lactation.

Cardiometabolic Effects of Postnatal High-Fat Diet Consumption in Offspring Exposed to Maternal Protein Restriction .

In recent decades, the high incidence of infectious and parasitic diseases has been replaced by a high prevalence of chronic and degenerative diseases. Concomitantly, there have been profound changes in the behavior and eating habits of families around the world, characterizing a "nutritional transition" phenomenon, which refers to a shift in diet in response to modernization, urbanization, or economic development from undernutrition to the excessive consumption of hypercaloric and ultra-processed foods. Protein malnutrition that was a health problem in the first half of the 20th century has now been replaced by high-fat diets, especially diets high in saturated fat, predisposing consumers to overweight and obesity.

Cardiometabolic impacts of saturated fatty acids: are they all comparable?

In last decades, a phenomenon named nutrition transition has been observed in many countries around the world. It has been characterised by increased consumption of fat-rich diets, predisposing to cardiometabolic diseases and high prevalence of the obesity. In the dietary recommendations cited to prevent metabolic diseases, there is a consensus to decrease intake of saturated fatty acids (SFA) to less than 10% of total energy intake, as recommended by the Food Safety Authorities.

Saturated Fatty Acid-Enriched Diet-Impaired Mitochondrial Bioenergetics in Liver From Undernourished Rats During Critical Periods of Development.

The nutritional transition that the western population has undergone is increasingly associated with chronic metabolic diseases. In this work, we evaluated a diet rich in saturated fatty acids (hyperlipidic, HL) after weaning of the offspring rats submitted to maternal protein restriction on the hepatic mitochondrial bioenergetics. Wistar rats were mated and during gestation and lactation, mothers received control diets (NP, normal protein content 17%) or low protein (LP, 8% protein).

Neonatal treatment with fluoxetine improves mitochondrial respiration and reduces oxidative stress in liver of adult rats.

Recent studies have shown that exposure to fluoxetine treatment induces excessive production of ROS, and alters the antioxidant defense system in various tissues and cell types, mainly the liver. When fluoxetine is administered intraperitoneally, the drug rapidly reaches high concentrations in the liver, has potentially multiple toxic effects on energy metabolism in rat liver mitochondria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pharmacological treatment with fluoxetine during critical period for development on the mitochondrial bioenergetics and oxidative stress in liver of rat adult.

Developmental Origins of Cardiometabolic Diseases: Role of the Maternal Diet.

Developmental origins of cardiometabolic diseases have been related to maternal nutritional conditions. In this context, the rising incidence of arterial hypertension, diabetes type II, and dyslipidemia has been attributed to genetic programming. Besides, environmental conditions during perinatal development such as maternal undernutrition or overnutrition can program changes in the integration among physiological systems leading to cardiometabolic diseases.

Safflower (Catharmus tinctorius L.) oil supplementation in overnourished rats during early neonatal development: effects on heart and liver function in the adult.

Carthamus tinctorius L. (common name: safflower) is an herb whose extracted oil (safflower oil) has been employed in both alternative and conventional medicine in the treatment of disease. Overnutrition during early postnatal life can increase the lifetime risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome.