3.2.1 Fructose uptake by the offspring and food consumption, body
weight
Knowing that there was a consumption of fructose by the matrices females
(Table 1), we sought to quantify its concentration in the serum of the
offspring at 7 days of life (lactation period) and at 60 days (adult
life) through HPLC (Figure 7).
Regarding the offspring with 7 days of life, we observed in both (males
and females) that there was an increase in fructose concentration in the
FRU group in relation to the water group and a decrease in fructose
concentration in the FRU+VPE, FRU+VPE /Water+VPE and FRU+VPE/Water
groups in relation to the FRU group (p<0.05). In the
60-day-old offspring (males and females), we did not find statistically
significant differences. However, we observed that there is an increase
in the concentration of serum fructose in the offspring during the
period of exposure via mother.
During the life follow-up period, the amount of animal food and daily
calories ingested by the offspring were measured (Table 4). In addition,
body weight was monitored during 7, 14, 21, 30 and 60 days of life,
these results are shown in table 5.
Regarding food consumption, it is observed that both offspring (males
and females) had higher consumption of chow in the water + VPE group
compared to the water group (p<0.05). Furthermore, it was
observed that the FRU+VPE/Water+VPE group had a decrease in consumption
compared to the FRU+VPE group (p<0.05). Regarding daily
calories, statistical differences were observed only in the male
offspring, where the FRU+VPE/Water + VPE group showed a reduction in
calories compared to the FRU+VPE group (p<0.05).
In addition to the consumption of liquids, the weight gain was also
analyzed in the animals throughout their lives (Table 5).
In the female offspring, we observed that at 7 and 14 days of age the
FRU group had an increase in body weight in relation to the water group.
However, at 7 days a decrease in weight in the FRU+VPE group compared to
the FRU group (p<0.05) was observed. At 21 days of age, was
observed only an increase in weight in the FRU+VPE/Water group in
relation to the FRU+VPE group (p<0.05). At 30 days of age,
there was a decrease in body weight in the FRU+VPE group in relation to
the FRU group (p<0.05). Finally, at 60 days of life, an
increase in body weight in the FRU group in relation to the water group
(p<0.05) was also observed, whereas the FRU + VPE and
FRU+VPE/Water+VPE groups showed weight reduction compared to the FRU
group (p<0.05). In addition, an increase in body weight was
observed in the FRU+VPE/Water group in relation to the FRU+VPE group
(p<0.05). Thus, we observed in the female offspring that the
offspring from the FRU group has an increase in body weight, especially
in the first days of life and in adulthood, since no differences were
observed throughout life. Furthermore, we observed that interventions
can decrease this body weight.
In the male offspring, at 7 days of age, we observed an increase in body
weight in the FRU group in relation to the water group
(p<0.05) and a decrease in body weight in the FRU+VPE and
FRU+VPE/Water in relation to the FRU group (p<0.05).
Furthermore, an increase in body weight was found in the
FRU+VPE/Water+VPE group in relation to the FRU+VPE group
(p<0.05). At 14 and 21 days of age, an increase in body weight
in the FRU group in relation to the water group (p<0.05) was
observed. At 30 and 60 days of life, no statistically significant
differences were observed. Thus, we observed in male offspring that the
weight is changed until 21 days of age and then it is brought to
eutrophy in relation to the other groups.
3.2.2 The effect on the offspring’s body adiposity
To assess whether the FRU increases the adipose tissue of the animals
and whether the VPE could reverse this situation, the body adiposity
index was calculated (figure 8) by weighing the epididymal, mesenteric,
retroperitoneal and perirenal fats.
According to the results obtained in the figure 8, it was possible to
verify that in the female offspring there was no statistically
significant difference between the groups. However, in males, an
increase in body adiposity index was observed in the FRU in relation to
the water group (p<0.05) and a decrease in the FRU+VPE in
relation to the FRU group (p<0.05).