Maternal Lifelong Western Diet Consumption Impacts Placental and Brain Development in the Term Guinea Pig Fetus
Abstract
Both metabolic and cognitive dysfunction can originate from fetal reprogramming precipitating from adverse conditions experienced in utero. Of note is the western diet (WD), which is associated with maternal energy imbalances that may hinder fetal development through altered placental function. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a growth factor that supports the placenta and developing brain, is responsive to such energy imbalances. This study sought to investigate the impact of lifelong maternal WD consumption on fetoplacental development, focusing on relations between placental changes, and fetal growth and neurodevelopment in a guinea pig model. Maternal WD consumption resulting in a lean metabolically unhealthy maternal phenotype was associated with lean fetal hepatic steatosis. Placentae of these fetuses were large yet inefficient and showed reduced BDNF expression. Similar reductions in BDNF were noted in fetal brains, coinciding with decreased cell density. Such cellular changes may convey long-term cognitive deficits, although their consequences remain unknown.