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 β-catenin, Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ƴ (PPARƴ), 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 β-catenin and OPG and decreased PPARƴ, 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.