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Effect of maternal and offspring diet on adipose tissue morphology and number of CD68 positive cells in male rat offspring

Introduction: Adipose tissue can be divided into two main types, white and brown. White adipose tissue is predominant in the body of mammals and specialized to store energy. To be able to adapt to excessive supply of energy, adipose tissue expansion can occur through several ways: 1. hypertrophy and/or hyperplasia of adipocytes, 2. infiltration of inflammatory cells and 3. remodeling of vasculature and extracellular matrix. Adipose tissue expansion, under certain conditions, can be connected with chronic inflammation. Prolonged inflammation in obesity can lead to obesity-related insulin resistance and tissue dysfunction. Methods: Ten female Sprague Dawley rats were at 9 weeks of age randomly divided into two groups and fed either standard laboratory chow or food rich in saturated fatty acids during 6 weeks and then mated with genetically similar male rats. After birth and lactation male rat offspring from both groups were divided into four subgroups depending on the diet they were fed until 22 weeks of age. After sacrifice, samples of white adipose tissue were taken from the subcutaneous compartment and from two compartments of visceral white fat (epididymal and perirenal). Histomorphometric analysis of digital images of histological tissue sections was conducted using the CellProfiler program v. 2.1.1., and immunohistochemical staining for CD68 was performed. Results: Greater mean surface area of subcutaneous and epididymal adipocytes was found in groups of male rat offspring with altered diet. In perirenal adipose tissue the highest number of adipocytes and the smallest surface adipocyte area was measured in the group where both mother and offspring were fed high-fat diet. The number of CD68 positive cells per mm2 of adipose tissue was the highest in groups where both mother and offspring were fed a diet rich in saturated fatty acids and it was especially high in subcutaneous white adipose tissue, although there was no statistical significance among groups. Conclusion: Mother’s diet and changes in postnatal diet can lead to alterations of adipose tissue morphology and infiltration of inflammatory cells.

adipose tissue, high-fat diet, postnatal diet, inflammation

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