ABSTRACT
Pregnancy is a period that is characterized by several metabolic and
physiological changes and requires special attention, especially with
regard to the relationship between feeding and fetal development.
Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate whether the
practice of voluntary physical exercise in combination with chronic
consumption of fructose from the beginning of life and/or until the
gestational period causes biochemical and genotoxic changes in pregnant
females and in their offspring. 70 Swiss female mice received
fructose in the hydration bottle and/or practiced voluntary physical
exercise (VPE) for 8 weeks (pre-pregnancy/pregnancy). After the
lactation period, the offspring groups were separated by sex. It was
observed that the consumption of fructose affected the food consumption,
serum concentration of fructose and glycemic profile in the mothers and
that the VPE decreases these parameters. In addition, fructose was
genotoxic in the mothers’ peripheral tissues and VPE had a preventive
effect on these parameters. The offspring showed changes in food
consumption, serum fructose concentration and body weight, in addition
to an increase in the adiposity index in male offspring in the FRU group
and a decrease in the FRU+VPE group. Fructose lead to hepatic steatosis
in the offspring and VPE was able to decrease the area of steatosis. In
addition, fructose led to genotoxicity in the offspring and VPE was able
to modulate this effect, reducing damages. In conclusion, we observed
that all interventions with voluntary physical exercise had nutritional,
genetic and biochemical benefits of the mother and her offspring.
Keywords: Fetal programming; Fructose; Physical exercise;
Genotoxicity; Mutagenicity