|
Experimental study
on the effect
of changes in dietary fatty acids during pregnancy on
maternal lipid
metabolism and consequences to the offspring
Summary: Dietary essential fatty acids (EFA)
are transported
in plasma associated to lipoproteins or as free fatty
acids. During
gestation these fatty acids have to become available to
the foetus.
In addition, the fatty acids may be modified in maternal tissue
by increases in their length (elongation) and
introduction of double
bonds (desaturation). The project will determine whether changes
in dietary fatty acids during pregnancy in the rat
affect maternal
metabolism and its consequences in the offspring.
Support: Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias de
la Seguridad
Social (Proy. 99/0205)
Duration: 1999-2002
Principal investigator: E. Herrera
Collaborators: C. Barbas, M. A. Munilla, P.
Otero, A. Soria,
J. Ruperez, S. Martínez, E. Amusquivar
Dietary fat, body
weight control
and links between obesity and cardiovascular
disease.
Summary: The content of fat in the diet may affect the
endogenous lipid composition and therefore contribute
to the development
of
pathological conditions. These are a risk in the development of
certain diseases such as cardiovascular diseases,
obesity, hypercholesterolaemia,
hypertension, diabetes, etc. In collaboration with
other European
groups, the project intends to relate the amount and composition
of dietary fat and the control of body weight and composition,
including
the molecular mechanisms (i.e. adipose tissue lipolytic activity,
the expression of transcription factors modulating
adipocyte differentiation
and proliferation, hormonal modulators). The study is
being carried
out in both humans and experimental animals, and the
part corresponding
to our laboratory deals with hyperlipidaemic diets (sucrose- and
cholesterol-rich diets) in the rat.
Support: European Commission, Contract FAIR-CT 98-4141
Duration: 1999-2001
Principal investigator: E. Herrera
Collborators: C. Bocos, Pilar Ramos, C. Barbas,
E. Amusquivar,
J. Rupérez
Role of dietary fatty acids
and the peroxisomal proliferator activated receptors
(PPARs) insulin
resistance and diabetes predisposition in
pregnancy
Summary: Pregnancy is a condition of insulin resistance,
when there is a risk of the mother developing diabetes
with negative
consequeces to the foetus and the newborn. Although at
the clinical
level this condition diabetes in pregnancy may be compensated by
an appropriate metabolic control of the mother, the
risk of offspring
morbidity is maintained. Since the diet and hormonal modulators
could reduce such risk, the project is being carried out, using
the rat as a model, to determine the following specific points:
a) role of changes in dietary fat (fish oil versus olive oil rich
diets) on glucose/insulin relationships in the mother, foetus and
newborns; b) development of an experimental model of
moderate diabetes
that would mimic the condition in humans; c) role of
insulin sensitisers,
such as thiazolidinediones, on the expression of PPARs
in pregnant
rats, with a view to controling the insulin resistant condition,
and to determining its metabolic consequences.
Support: Comunidad de Madrid (08.6/0023.1/2000)
Duration: 2000-2002
Principal investigator: E. Herrera
Collaborators: C. Bocos, P. Ramos, J. Cacho, E.
Relaño,
M.A. Munilla, P. Otero, E. Amusquivar, M.I. Isabel Panadero, I.
López-Soldado, S. Martínez, I. López, M.D.
Dolores Crespo
Consequences of
modifying dietary
fatty acids on muscle and adipose tissue insulin responsiveness
in pregnant rats
Summary: This project is being carried out in
collaboration
with the Department of Biochemistry of Universidad del Litoral
(Santa
Fe, Argentina). In this study, isocaloric semisynthetic
diets having
different fatty acid compsitions are fed to pregnant
and non-pregnant
rats. Tissue glucose utilization indices “in
vivo” and
muscle and adipose tissue cells from these animals are studied
in
the presence of different doses of insulin and/or anti-insulin
factors (i.e. beta-adrenergic agents) in order to differentiate
insulin
sensitivity from insulin responsiveness.
Support: Programa de Cooperación Científica
con Iberoamérica 2000
Duration: 2000-2002
Principal Investigator: E. Herrera
Collaborators: C. Bocos, M.P. Ramos, E. Amusquivar
Insulin, dietary fatty acids
and peroxisomal proliferator activated receptors
(PPARs): interactions
in pregnancy and perinatal development
Summary: This project is complementary to those
above, having
the objective of systematically analyzing the
endogenous composition
of fatty acids in pregnant rats and their foetuses, subjected to
dietary regimes which differ in their fatty
acid composition and in the length of time the diets
are continued
through pregnancy and lactation. Insulin, PPARs and PPAR
target genes are measured in the mothers as well as in
foetus, newborns
and suckling pups. The effect of hyperglycaemia (after
glucose load)
and/or hyperlipidaemia (after Intralipid treatment) is studied at
different times of suckling in order to determine the
role of diet
composition in the expression of PPARs and their target
or related
genes.
Support: Universidad San Pablo-CEU (10/01)
Duration: 2001-2002
Principal investigator: E. Herrera
Collaborators: M.P. Ramos, C. Bocos, E. Amusquivar, J.J.
Alvarez, J. Cacho, M.A. Munilla, E. Relaño, P. Otero, M.I.
Panadero, H. Ortega, I. López-Soldado, M.C.
González,
S. Campo.
|
