Maternal high-fat diet before pregnancy triggered off abnormal carnitine mapping and gut microbiota development in offspring

Abstract

Maternal high-fat diet (HFD) can increase the risk of metabolic disturbances in offspring by modifying their gut microbiota, which may persist into adulthood. However, how HFD before pregnancy affects the carnitine mapping and alters the development of the gut microbiota in offspring remains to be explored. In this study, 4-week-old C57BL/6J mice were initially fed HFD for 10 weeks. The mice were subsequently mated and maintained on a normal diet during pregnancy. We investigated lipid metabolism, intestinal barrier function, and gut microbiota development in the offspring at various time points. We discovered that the carnitine development curve of the offspring in the HFD group was significantly different from that of the offspring in the control group. The expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism was altered significantly in the liver and colon. The development of the gut microbiota also significantly changed, and the degree of microbial invasion of the mucus increased. Specifically, the abundance of Akkermansia and Muribaculaceae increased significantly in the offspring, whereas the abundance of Bacteroides and Prevotellaceae UGG 001 decreased significantly in both the dams and offspring after maternal HFD before pregnancy. Maternal HFD before pregnancy, on the one hand, altered the developmental trajectory of the gut microbiota in offspring, impaired intestinal barrier function, and increased susceptibility to microbial infections. On the other hand, maternal HFD before pregnancy triggered an abnormal carnitine profile and disrupted lipid metabolism in the offspring.