Oral Presentation Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society Annual Scientific Conference 2024

In-utero exposure to fructose and sucrose alters offspring’s body composition and exercise tolerance irrespective of postnatal diet (#84)

Michael Rahman 1 2 , Sophie Lucic Fisher 1 , Yen Chin Koay 1 , Xiaosuo Wang 1 , John O'Sullivan 1 2
  1. Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, University Of Sydney, NSW, Australia
  2. Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Past epidemiological studies have shown the adverse impacts of in-utero diet on the development of cardiovascular disease. One adverse development of the cardiovascular system is the development of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). HCM is frequently characterized by the thickening of the interventricular septum leading to the enlargement of the heart and in severe cases, sudden cardiac death.

Carbohydrates are the most prevalent macronutrient in the diet, which is increasingly important during pregnancy as glucose is the main substrate used for fetal growth and development.

Previous studies have indicated that the consumption of simple sugars, notably fructose, upregulates the protein involved in cardiac hypertrophy leading to the development of HCM.

Earlier research revealed that the ingestion of maternal fructose and sucrose—not glucose—increases heart size in fetuses, suggesting the development of fetal HCM. To understand the mechanistic manner of in-utero cardiac development, a specific dietary murine model of C57BL6/J were used.

Female dams were exposed to a control (AIN-93G) or high-saccharide diet (sucrose or fructose) for five weeks before being mated. The pups are then exposed to the same diet as the dams or have their diet switched.

Preliminary results using six-week-old male pups exhibited significantly higher fat percentage when male mice are exposed to in-utero high-fructose or high-sucrose diet (fructose: p=0.011, sucrose: p=0.019) compared to AIN-93G. Results also indicated that exposure to lifelong high-fructose increased fat percentage in both male and female pups (male: p=2.1×10-7, female: p=0.042).

Exercise tolerance measured through running distance are also significantly lower in six-week-old female mice that were exposed in-utero high-fructose and high-sucrose diet (fructose: p=0.021, sucrose: p=0.0017) compared to AIN-93G. Exposure to lifelong high-sucrose diet also significant reduced the running distance in both males and females (male: p=9.0×10-7, female: p=1.7×10-7).

Further cardiovascular analysis through echocardiography and blood pressure measurement will be conducted.