7561 Maternal Sucrose Consumption During Gestation Alone Does Not Affect Glucocorticoids and Aldosterone in the Fetal Brain and Blood of Rats

Abstract Disclosure: M.M. Jung: None. D.R. Seib: None. M. Idrissi: None. H.W. Chen: None. K.K. Soma: None. Sucrose (table sugar) is a common added sugar in foods and beverages. Sucrose intake is high worldwide, yet little is known about how sucrose affects the brain and hormones. We designed an isocaloric, macro/micro-nutrient matched control diet (1% kcal sucrose) and high-sucrose diet (26% kcal sucrose) paradigm where the two diets only differ in kcal from sucrose. In this paradigm, maternal high-sucrose diet intake alters glucocorticoids (GCs) which are steroid hormones that regulate numerous physiological processes including the stress response. 16 wk of maternal sucrose intake (10 wk before mating, 3 wk during gestation, and 3 wk during lactation) increases blood and brain corticosterone levels in adult female offspring. Moreover, 13 wk of maternal sucrose intake (10 wk before mating and 3 wk during gestation) increases 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC, corticosterone precursor) and 11-dehydrocorticosterone (DHC, corticosterone metabolite) in maternal serum, and increases aldosterone in fetal blood and brain at embryonic day 19.5 (E19.5). These results suggest that long-term maternal sucrose intake is a stressor that alters GC and aldosterone signalling. It is unclear whether a maternal high-sucrose diet only during gestation alters fetal steroid levels, or whether long-term sucrose consumption before mating is necessary. Here, we investigate the effects of maternal sucrose intake during gestation only on GCs and aldosterone in the fetal blood and brain. We hypothesize that maternal sucrose intake only during gestation will alter GC and aldosterone signaling in the fetus. We predict that maternal sucrose consumption during gestation alone will increase GC and aldosterone levels in the fetal blood and brain. Female Long-Evans rats were fed either a high-sucrose diet or a control diet starting E0.5 (day of mating confirmation) (n=15/diet). On E19.5, we collected fetal brain and blood and microdissected the regions of the fetal brain that are sensitive to GCs and aldosterone: nucleus accumbens, amygdala, hypothalamus, ventral hippocampus, and ventral tegmental area. We measured a panel of 15 steroids including GCs and aldosterone in the fetal brain (0.8-1.6 mg/region) and blood (5 µL) using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, the gold standard for steroid quantification. Maternal high-sucrose diet intake during gestation alone did not alter maternal food intake, maternal body mass, or litter size, but increased the percentage of male offspring per litter. Maternal sucrose intake did not alter DOC, corticosterone, or DHC levels in the fetal blood and brain regions. Aldosterone was not detected in the fetal blood and brain. These results suggest that maternal sucrose intake during gestation alone does not alter GC and aldosterone levels in the developing fetus and that a longer duration of maternal sucrose intake is needed to alter offspring endocrine physiology. Presentation: 6/1/2024