Effects of exercise prior or during pregnancy in high fat diet fed mice alter bone gene expression of female offspring: An experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Based on different studies it was shown that exercise training is an important factor in preconception and prenatal care. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether regular preconception exercise training with or without exercise training during pregnancy decreases detrimental effects of maternal high fat diet on female offspring bone health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four C57BL/6 female mice were fed high-fat diet (35%) and were randomly divided into four groups: trained in preconception period and exercised during pregnancy (TE); trained in preconception periods but unexercised during pregnancy (TC); untrained in preconception periods but exercised during pregnancy (CE); untrained and unexercised (CC). Trained mice were subjected to a protocol of moderate endurance exercise training over a period of 4 weeks before pregnancy. TE and CE Dams groups had access to wheels throughout pregnancy until delivery. Analyses were performed on the female offspring that did not have access to running wheels or exercise training during any portion of their lives. The relative expression levels of ß-catenin, Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor Æ´ (PPARÆ´), osteoprotegerin (OPG), and Receptor activator of nuclear factor NF-kB ligand (RANKL) were determined by Quantitative RT-PCR (qPCR). RESULTS: Exercise during pregnancy in isolation had no effect on any measure genes but exercise both before and during pregnancy affected all genes. Exercise only before pregnancy increased ß-catenin and OPG and decreased PPARÆ´, RANKL, and RANKL/OPG ratio (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that maternal exercise training before and during pregnancy may modulate the risk of bone disorders in offspring of mothers fed a high-fat diet.

Preconception endurance training with voluntary exercise during pregnancy positively influences on remodeling markers in female offspring bone.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigate the effects of preconception endurance training with or without voluntary exercise during pregnancy on indices of bone formation and resorption in female offspring bone. METHODS: Twenty-four C57BL/6 female mice were randomly divided into four groups: trained in preconception period and exercised during pregnancy (TE); trained in preconception periods but unexercised during pregnancy (TC); untrained in preconception periods but exercised during pregnancy (CE); untrained and unexercised (CC). Trained dams were subjected to a protocol of moderate exercise training over a period of 4 weeks before pregnancy. Analyses were performed on the adult female offspring that did not have access to running wheels in any portion of their lives. RESULTS: The OPG, Runx2, COLI, ALP, and OPN mRNA expression was significantly up-regulated in offspring born to dams that was trained in preconception period. However, there was no significant difference in OPG, COLI, Runx2, and ALP expression in TE and TC offspring (p > 0.05). RANKL and osteocalcin expression were significantly down-regulated in TE offspring group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Improved physical fitness in preconception period results in significant changes in bone gene expressions of female offspring, in particular towards osteogenic responses with improved RANKL/OPG ratio.