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Session: Vitamins and Minerals (Oral 9)

(OR09-06-24) Like Father, Like Daughter: Influence of Paternal Diet on Female Offspring Metabolic Health

Sunday, June 30, 2024
9:00 AM – 9:12 AM CT
Location:  W375A
GSRA ELPC

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Latha Ramalingam, PhD (she/her/hers)

    Assistant Professor
    Syracuse University
    Syracuse, New York, United States

    Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

    • Co-Author(s)

  • SD

    Sarah K. Dellett, MA

    Graduate Research Assistant
    Syracuse University
    Syracuse, New York, United States

Objectives: Obesity and chronic disease exhibit genetic links from parent to offspring. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) reduce inflammation and triglycerides, but their role in intergenerational disease risk is unknown. Hence, we investigated n-3 PUFAs during the preconceptional period in fathers, with a focus on sex-dependent mechanisms of inheritance. We hypothesize improved metabolic health in offspring with paternal intake of n-3 PUFAs.

Methods: Male mice were fed low-fat (LF), high-fat (HF), or HF diet supplemented with 36 g fish oil (FO) per kg diet for 10 weeks and mated with LF-fed female. Offspring were fed LF or HF diet after weaning at 3 weeks, creating six groups (LF-LF, HF-LF, FO-LF, LF-HF, HF-HF, and FO-HF). Glucose and insulin tolerance tests were performed. Data analysis was conducted on R with significance level of p < 0.05.

Results: Offspring BW of FO sires at 7 and 21 days old were lower than offspring BW of HF sires (p < 0.01). However, sire BW across the intervention period did not differ among groups. FO-HF females demonstrated improved glucose clearance at 30 minutes compared to HF-HF females (p = 0.03), while no difference in GTT was found between FO-LF and HF-LF groups. Further, FO-HF female offspring had better insulin sensitivity than HF-HF females (p < 0.001), suggesting restored insulin response under obesogenic conditions via paternal n-3 PUFAs intake. No difference among male offspring groups was found. These findings indicate an early infancy programmatic effect on female metabolism due to paternal diet alone.

Conclusions: These preliminary data point to sex-dependent differences in paternal dietary influence, aiding in uncovering gender-equitable solutions to chronic disease mitigation. This is the first study to our knowledge that examines inheritance patterns exclusively in paternal line with analysis of gene expression in muscle and liver currently underway and will undergird an understanding of the genetic basis for improved insulin sensitivity and disease prevention in females.

Funding Sources: American Heart Association