ESPE Abstracts

Background: Nutrition is an important factor to regulate reproductive function. Some studies showed that high fat diet (HFD) may influence to puberty onset and irregular estrous cycles in the female rats. However, underlying regulation mechanism of nutrition on pubertal maturation and reproductive function is not well-known. Kisspeptin and neurokinin B (NKB) are an essential factor for regulation of pubertal development.

Objective and hypotheses: In this study, we examined pubertal development and the immunoreactivity (IR) of Kisspeptin and NKB in female offspring rats fed HFD during perinatal period. Furthermore we evaluated the IR of Kisspeptin and NKB after change to normal diet (ND) in female offspring fed a HFD.

Method: After mating, rats were randomized to control dams fed a ND or dams fed a HFD from conception until the end of lactation. Post-weaning (P15), offspring were fed a control or HFD until postnatal (P) 45 days. The offspring, which exposed to HFD, were fed ND from P45 to P85. Puberty onset was assessed by vaginal opening from P25. Immunohistochemistry of offspring brain was performed with Kisspeptin and NKB antibody at P45 and P85.

Results: HFD during perinatal period significantly increased body weight (BW) and accelerated puberty onset of female offspring. At P45, the density of Kisspeptin and NKB-IR cells in arcuate nucleus of HFD rats was different from those of control rats (P<005). Interestingly, at P85, the mean BW of rats which stopped HFD were similar with those of control diet rats and there was no difference between control and HFD-stopped rats in the density of Kisspeptin and NKB-IR cells in arcuate nucleus.

Conclusion: These data suggest that HFD during perinatal period has altered pubertal onset and IR of Kisspeptin and NKB in female offspring rats. These effects may be reversible by dietary control.