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).