Fishing for Solutions: How Pre-Conceptional Fish Oil Supplementation in Obese Fathers Reduces Risk of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Offspring Mice

Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a chronic condition with hepatic fat accumulation. The intergenerational effect of obesity has predominantly focused on mothers, with limited studies on paternal obesity. Nutritional intervention with fish oil (FO) has beneficial effects in reducing markers of obesity. We hypothesized that supplementing obese fathers with FO before conception could enhance the metabolic health of their offspring liver. Male mice were assigned to low-fat (LF), high fat (HF), or HF supplemented with FO for 10 weeks. Subsequently, these males were mated with females on a chow diet. Offspring were sacrificed at 8 weeks, and liver tissues were analyzed for gene expression and histology. Offspring body weight was not significantly impacted by paternal diet. However, male offspring of HF fathers had higher levels of markers of inflammation and fatty acid synthesis compared to offspring of LF fed fathers. Paternal FO supplementation significantly reduced fatty acid synthesis and glucose metabolism, while increasing fatty acid oxidation in male offspring, with a less pronounced effect in female offspring. These findings suggest that FO supplementation in obese fathers prior to conception attenuates the development of MAFLD in male offspring. This data underscores the significance of paternal nutritional intervention in promoting offspring health.