Modulation of Some Insulin Signaling Genes Due to Prenatal Rice Consumption

Objective: A clinically observable metabolic disorder often takes its root from modulation of transcriptional factors which in turn are responsible for perturbed protein expressions and their sequelae. Perinatal perturbations due to chronic prenatal exposure to a certain type of rice could predispose parents exposed to such ‘insult’ and their subsequent offsprings to metabolic diseases. Materials and Methods: We investigated the effect of chronic prenatal exposure to different types of rice (in context of a balanced normal diet and a high-fat diet) on some insulin signaling genes using nulliparous Sprague Dawley rats. The rats were exposed to various predetermined rice diets for 90 days. After returning them to standard chow, they were mated with male rats raised on standard chow. The resulting pups (F1) and dams were sacrificed and their tissues were examined for modulation of genes related to insulin signaling. Results: Our results show that dams fed with white rice in context of standard diet modulated MAPK1, MAFA1 and SLC2A2. Also, germinated brown rice prevented dysregulation of MAPK1, and SLC2A2 in both dams and pups exposed to this diet in the context of a high-fat diet. In general, germinated brown rice retarded dysregulations due to high-fat diet exposure while white rice enhanced the dysregulatory effects of high-fat diet. Conclusion: We conclude that chronic prenatal exposure to a certain type of rice, could be a factor to modulation of some genes related to insulin signaling pathways and that these modulation could be inherited by at least one generation of offsprings.