The effect of early-life stress and chronic high-sucrose diet on metabolic outcomes in female rats.
Early-life stress affects metabolic outcomes and choice of diet influences the development of metabolic disease. Here we tested the hypothesis that chronic sugar intake exacerbates metabolic deficits induced by early-life stress. Early-life stress was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats using limited nesting material in early lactation (LN, postnatal days 2-9), and siblings were given chow alone or with additional sucrose post weaning (n = 9-17 per group). Female control and LN siblings had unlimited access to either chow plus water, or chow and water plus 25% sucrose solution (Sucrose), from 3-15 weeks of age. Weekly body weight and food intake were measured. Glucose and insulin tolerance were tested at 13 and 14 weeks of age, respectively. Rats were killed at 15 weeks. Hepatic triglyceride and markers of lipid synthesis - fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha and oxidation - and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (Pgc-1α) were examined. Mediators of hepatic glucocorticoid metabolism, specifically 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-1 (11βHSD-1), 5-α reductase, and glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptor mRNAs were also measured. Sucrose increased caloric intake in both groups, but overall energy intake was not altered by LN exposure. LN exposure had no further impact on sucrose-induced glucose intolerance and increased plasma and liver triglycerides. Hepatic markers of fat synthesis and oxidation were concomitantly activated and 11βHSD-1 mRNA expression was increased by 53% in LN-Sucrose versus Con-Sucrose rats. Adiposity was increased by 26% in LN-Sucrose versus Con-Sucrose rats. Thus, LN exposure had minimal adverse metabolic effects despite high-sugar diet postweaning.
['Maniam|Jayanthi|J|', 'Antoniadis|Christopher P|CP|', 'Morris|Margaret J|MJ|']
D043205:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase D000103:Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase D050154:Adiposity D000818:Animals D001786:Blood Glucose D001835:Body Weight D004032:Diet D019422:Dietary Sucrose D004435:Eating D002149:Energy Intake D054890:Fatty Acid Synthase, Type I D005247:Feeding Behavior D005260:Female D050155:Lipogenesis D008099:Liver D009765:Obesity D000071248:Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha D012333:RNA, Messenger D051381:Rats D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid D018161:Receptors, Mineralocorticoid D013315:Stress, Psychological D014157:Transcription Factors D014280:Triglycerides
early-life stress limited nesting sucrose hepatic triglyceride 11-Beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 glucose/insulin tolerance