(P10-004-24) Alpha-Lipoic Acid Supplementation During Pregnancy in Mothers With Obesity

Objectives: To investigate the influence of alpha-lipoic acid (αLPA) supplementation in obese pregnancies on maternal and fetal metabolic health. We hypothesized that αLPA supplementation would protect against excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) in obese mothers and improve metabolic control in both mothers and fetuses.

Methods: Forty female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to one of four experimental groups (n=10/group) throughout pre-pregnancy and gestation: (i) low calorie control (CON); (ii) a high caloric obesity-inducing diet (HC); (iii) the HC diet with 0.25% αLPA (HC+LA) or; (iv) the HC diet pair-fed to match the caloric intake of the HC+LA group (HF+PF). On gestation day 20, pregnant rats were placed under anesthesia for collection of maternal/fetal blood and tissues.

Results: Compared with the HC group, HC+LA mothers demonstrated lower maternal pre-pregnancy body weight and GWG, improved glycemic control (lower HOMA-IR), and higher cholesterol concentrations in serum (HDL fraction) and liver. Male and female fetuses from αLPA-supplemented mothers exhibited lower body weight, improved insulin sensitivity, and evidence of altered lipid metabolism including reduced serum TG, increased hepatic TG accumulation, and a male-specific reduction in serum HDL-C.

Conclusions: Although maternal αLPA supplementation showed reduced obesity and GWG in mothers and improved glycemic control in both mothers and fetuses, concern about the potential longer-term implications of lower fetal body weight and increased hepatic TG accumulation warrants further investigation.

Funding Sources: Supported by NIH (to TCR)