Offspring born of dams receiving green tea extract during pregnancy and lactation had reduced central oxidative stress and improved peripheral insulin Sensitivity

Abstract

Maternal over-nutrition could compromise insulin sensitivity (IS) of offspring through programming. Excess central reactive oxygen species via sympathetic excitation may lead to insulin resistant. This study examined the hypothesis that supplementing green tea extract [GT, >90% (–)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate] to dams fed a high fat (HF) diet would improve oxidative status and IS of offspring. Female rats were assigned to one of four diet groups 8 wk prior to mating and continued with the diet till the end of lactation: low fat (LF), HF, 0.75%GT or 1%GT added to HF (HT1, HT2). Post-weaning diets were HF, HT1 or HT2. Male HF rats born of GT supplemented dams had improved IS at wk 13. But, GT given post-weaning to rats of HF dams had no effect. In HF offspring born of HT2 dams, activities of brain catalase and superoxide dismutase were enhanced when compared to pups of HF dams (p<0.05). Hypothalamic sirtuin 1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha gene expression, which play roles in oxidative stress reduction, in HF offspring of both HT1 and HT2 dams were significantly higher than those of HF dams (p<0.05). Hence maternal exposure to GT improves HF offspring’s ability to handle oxidative stress centrally. These results support the notion that maternal exposure to certain bioactive food components could have long lasting impact on offspring via fetal programming.