Research Assistant Syracuse University Wantagh, New York, United States
Disclosure(s):
Michael Capous: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Objectives: While fish oil is well-established in mitigating obesity-associated inflammation, its impact on paternal obesity remains largely unexplored. This study investigates the role of paternal fish oil supplementation in mitigating metabolic-associated fatty liver disease in the offspring of mice.
Methods: Male mice aged 4-5 weeks were randomly assigned to one of three diets: Low-fat (LF), High-fat (HF), or High-fat supplemented with eicosatetraenoic acid enriched fish oil (FO) for 10 weeks before mating with female mice fed a chow diet. Offspring were weaned at three weeks and subsequently randomized to continue LF or HF for an additional 12 weeks, resulting in six experimental groups (LF-LF, LF-HF, HF-HF, HF-LF, FO-LF and FO-HF). Phenotypic tests were conducted on both male and female offspring at 12 weeks and sacrificed at 14 weeks. Liver tissue was collected for gene expression and histology analyses. Statistical significance was determined using ANOVA.
Results: Male father mice fed HF exhibited significant body weight gain compared to LF fathers. Further, fathers fed FO exhibited reduced weight gain from 4-12 weeks. Notably, offspring that received HF had higher body weight than their respective littermates who were on LF, irrespective of paternal diet. Ongoing mechanistic studies in the liver suggest a potential reduction in inflammation in offspring of FO-supplemented fathers compared to offspring of HF-fed fathers, although further investigation is required.
Conclusions: In summary, paternal fish oil supplementation may mitigate the adverse effects of paternal obesity and improve offspring health in the first generation.
