Does parental diet alter the neurobehaviour and the reflex and somatic parameters of the offspring?

Background: The early-life nutritional environment plays crucial role in shaping offspring development. While most studies have assessed maternal or paternal high-fat diet (HFD) exposure independently, the combined impact of both remains poorly understood across developmental, metabolic, and behavioural parameters. This study evaluated the effects of maternal and paternal HFD consumption on offspring metabolism, neurodevelopment, and anxiety-like behaviour.

Methods: Male and female Wistar rats were randomised into four dietary groups (n = 10/group): NF/NF (both sexes received a normal-fat diet, NFD), HF/NF (only males received an HFD), NF/HF (only females received an HFD), and HF/HF (both sexes received an HFD). Offspring were assessed for physical growth, somatic maturation, reflex ontogeny (postnatal days 0-21), anxiety-like behaviours (open field and elevated plus maze tests), lipid profile, brain fatty acid composition, and prefrontal cortex histology.

Results: NF/HF and HF/HF groups showed delayed somatic growth and altered physical development. Reflex maturation was impaired in HF/NF and NF/HF offspring. Anxiety-like behaviours were more evident in NF/HF and HF/HF groups. The HF/HF group exhibited elevated total cholesterol (439.28 ± 71.88 mg/dL), higher LDL (151.11 ± 28.72 mg/dL), reduced HDL (36.84 ± 18.93 mg/dL), reduced neuronal cell body size, and lower levels of brain polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Conclusion: Combined maternal and paternal HFD intake exerts cumulative adverse effects on offspring, impairing physical development, reflex maturation, behaviour, and brain lipid composition. These findings provide novel evidence that parental nutritional status prior to conception jointly influences offspring neurobiological and metabolic trajectories, underscoring the importance of considering both maternal and paternal diets in early-life health strategies.