A maternal diet rich in fish oil may improve cardiac Akt-related signaling in the offspring of diabetic mother rats

• Published in: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) Vol. 29; no. 4; pp. 688 - 692
• Main Authors: Nasu-Kawaharada, Ritsuko, Ph.D, Nakamura, Akio, Ph.D, Kakarla, Sunil K., Ph.D, Blough, Eric R., Ph.D, Kohama, Kazuhiro, M.D., Ph.D, Kohama, Tomoko, M.D., Ph.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.04.2013; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Diabetes; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Diabetic mother; Diet; Diet, High-Fat - adverse effects; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fish oil; Fish oils; Fish Oils - adverse effects; Fish Oils - therapeutic use; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Glucose; Heart; Hyperglycemia - congenital; Hyperglycemia - prevention & control; Hypertriglyceridemia - complications; Hypertriglyceridemia - congenital; Hypertriglyceridemia - prevention & control; Hypoglycemic Agents - adverse effects; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Infants; Insulin; Insulin signaling; Kinases; MAP kinase signaling; MAP Kinase Signaling System; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Medical sciences; Myometrium - metabolism; Offspring; Phosphorylation; Prediabetic State - complications; Prediabetic State - congenital; Prediabetic State - metabolism; Prediabetic State - prevention & control; Pregnancy; Pregnancy in Diabetics - blood; Pregnancy in Diabetics - diet therapy; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Proteins; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - metabolism; Rats; Rodents; Serine - metabolism; Threonine - metabolism; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Japan; Heart; Infants; MAP kinase signaling; Diabetic mother; Fish oil; Insulin signaling; Endocrinopathy; Pancreatic hormone; Rat; Infant; Signal transduction; Mother; Human; Enzyme; Transferases; Diabetes mellitus; Rodentia; Mitogen-activated protein kinase; Edible oil; Insulin; Feeding; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Diet; Animal; Circulatory system
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2012.11.017
• ISSN: 0899-9007

Abstract Objective Newborns of diabetic mothers have abnormal circulatory organs, so in this study, we explore insulin signaling in the newborn rat heart. Methods Pregnant rats were divided into streptozotocin-induced diabetic groups (DM) and control groups (CM). Rats were fed lard (21% fat), fish oil (21% fat), or a control diet (7% fat). To examine changes in insulin signaling in the hearts of infants of diabetic mothers (IDM) in relation to diet, we isolated the hearts from the IDM and control infants and determined the phosphorylation levels of Akt308, Akt473, p38, c-jun-NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK), and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), and the expression levels of phosphoinositide-dependent protein kainase1 (PDK1) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Results The mean blood glucose levels in the DM group and their infants were significantly higher than those in the CM group ( P < 0.05) and their infants ( P < 0.05), but the mean blood glucose levels of all infants was normal on postnatal d 4. Phosphorylation levels of AktThr 308 ( P < 0.05) and AktSer 473 and the expression levels of PDK1 and mTOR were lower in infants of diabetic mothers (IDM) than in control infants. The phosphorylation level of AktSer 473 and the expression level of mTOR increased in IDM fed the fish oil diet compared with those fed the lard diet ( P < 0.05). Conclusion A maternal diet rich in fish oil improves cardiac Akt-related signaling in the offspring of diabetic rats.