Fish oil improves lipid profile in juvenile rats with intrauterine growth retardation by altering the transcriptional expression of lipid-related hepatic genes

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether maternal intrauterine undernutrition and post-weaning fish oil intake influence lipid profile in juvenile offspring, and explore the possible mechanisms at transcriptional levels. METHODS: After weaning, 32 control offspring and 24 intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) offspring were randomly allocated to standard chow or fish oil diet. At 10 weeks, fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol and expressions of related hepatic genes were examined. RESULTS: IUGR offspring without catch-up growth tended to develop hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis. Down-regulation of CPT-1 and LDLR at transcriptional levels were found in IUGR offspring. Early short-term fish oil intervention reversed these unfavorable changes in juvenile rats with IUGR. The mechanisms might be mediated by decreased expression of ACC-1, increased expression of CPT-1, LDLR and ABCG5. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that IUGR offspring already present lipid abnormality in juvenile stage, and early short-term fish oil consumption is beneficial to prevent these unfavorable changes.