Maternal high-fat high-sucrose diet and gestational exercise modulate hepatic fat accumulation and liver mitochondrial respiratory capacity in mothers and male offspring

Abstract

Maternal high-caloric nutrition and related gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are associated with a high-risk for developing metabolic complications later in life and in their offspring. In contrast, exercise is recognized as a non-pharmacological strategy against metabolic dysfunctions associated to lifestyle disorders. Therefore, we investigated whether gestational exercise delays the development of metabolic alterations in GDM mothers later in life, but also protects 6-week-old male offspring from adverse effects of maternal diet.