Maternal consumption of sucrose during lactation may program metabolic dysfunction in young offspring

Background: It is well established that the consumption of sugars by both young and old, males and females, has tremendously increased over the past decades. This increased consumption is without prejudice to the physiological state of the body. There is evidence to suggest a correlation between the excessive consumption of these sugars and their adverse metabolic effects. Aim: The aim of this study was carried out to investigate the effect of maternal consumption of sucrose during lactation on some metabolic indices in young offspring of the rat. Methods: Fourteen female albino Wistar rats weighing were used for this study and were randomly assigned into two groups (sucrose group and control group) at delivery. Water and 30% (w/v) sucrose solutions from plastic bottles were made with tap water and administered during lactation until weaning. At postnatal day 42, offspring of sucrose-fed rats showed a statistically significant decrease (P < 0.05) in body weight and food intake when compared with control. The female offspring showed a statistically significant increase (P < 0.05) in liver weight index, total cholesterol, and triglycerides and a significant decrease in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and insulin values (P < 0.05) when compared with control. The male offspring showed a statistically significant increase (P < 0.05) in the oral glucose tolerance test, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein values and a significant decrease in pancreatic weight, HDL, and insulin concentration when compared with control. Conclusion: This study suggests that maternal consumption of sucrose during lactation may contribute to the onset of metabolic dysfunction in the young adult offspring.