Effect of low-iron during pregnancy on serum lipids and serum glucose in adult offspring rats

ObjectiveTo explore the effect and the most sensitive period of low-iron intervention in pregnant rats on serum lipids and serum glucose of its offspring in adulthood.MethodsSix week-age Wistar female rats were divided into two groups randomly.The rats of experimental group were fed with low-iron diet and the rats in control group were fed with iron-sufficient diet.The rats were mated with healthy male rats after four weeks and the iron intervention were carried out untill the end of lactation period.Iron-sufficient diet were then given to all rats for ten weeks(iron balancing period).After that control group and experimental group were divided into two groups and fed with low-or sufficient-iron diet,respectively,and all the rats were killed to detect serum triglyceride(TG),cholesterol(TC),blood glucose,free fatty acids(FFA), high density lipoprotein(HDL)and leptin after sixteen weeks.ResultsCompared with the control group,the levels of serum cholesterol,triglyceride,glucose,weight of heart and liver of the offsprings with their mothers fed with low-level iron diet during pregnancy were elevated significantly.Besides,hydropic degeneration in hepatocytes,cytoplasm puffing and disappearance of hepatic sinusoid were observed in the rats.ConclusionMaternal iron deficiency during pregnancy will result in the increased levels of serum triglyceride,cholesteroland,blood glucose and pathologic changes of liver tissue and hepatocytes in its thirty-week-old offsprings.