RESEARCH ARTICLE Maternal Obesity in Sheep Increases Fatty Acid Synthesis, Upregulates Nutrient Transporters, and Increases Adiposity in Adult Male Offspring after a Feeding Challenge

Maternal obesity in women is increasing worldwide. The objective of this study was to evalu-ate differences in adipose tissue metabolism and function in adult male offspring from obese and control fed mothers subjected to an ad libitum feeding challenge. We developed a model in which obese ewes were fed 150 % of feed provided for controls from 60 days be-fore mating to term. All ewes were fed to requirements during lactation. After weaning, F1 male offspring were fed only to maintenance requirements until adulthood (control = 7, obese = 6), when they were fed ad libitum for 12 weeks with intake monitored. At the end of the feeding challenge offspring were given an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT), necropsied, and adipose tissue collected. During the feeding trial F1obese males con-sumed more (P< 0.01), gained more weight (P< 0.01) and became heavier (P< 0.05) than F1control males. During IVGTT, Obese F1 offspring were hyperglycemic and hypoin-sulinemic (P< 0.01) compared to F1 control F1. At necropsy perirenal and omental adipose depots weights were 47 % and 58 % greater respectively and subcutaneous fat thickness 41 % greater in F1obese vs F1control males (P< 0.05). Adipocyte diameters were greate