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Effects of early-life exposure to Western diet and voluntary exercise on adult activity levels, exercise physiology, and associated traits in selectively bred High Runner mice.

Physiology & behavior
May 15, 2021
Marcell D Cadney et al. (10 authors)
Journal ArticleResearch Support, N.I.H., ExtramuralResearch Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.Animal Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to investigate the long-term effects of early-life Western Diet (WD) and exercise on adult voluntary exercise behavior and related phenotypes in genetically distinct mouse lines.

Results Summary

Early-life WD increased juvenile wheel-running initially but effects disappeared by the third week; it also increased adult lean mass and preference for WD but had no significant effect on adult body fat or aerobic capacity. The effects of WD were modulated by genetic background, with HR mice showing increased adult wheel running.

Population

Genetically distinct mouse lines (four high runner and four control lines).

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

3 weeks (from weaning at 3 weeks old to 6 weeks of age)

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (16)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
Western diet (WD)
increase
distance run
C mice
29%
increased
#1
Western diet (WD)
increase
distance run
HR mice
48%
increased
#2
Western diet (WD)
increase
fat mass
mice
-
significantly increased
#3
early-life exercise
increase
wheel running
C mice
-
increased
#4
early-life exercise
decrease
adult anxiety-like behavior
mice
-
reduced
#5
early-life exercise
increase
adult fasted blood glucose levels
mice
-
increased
#6
early-life exercise
increase
triceps surae mass
mice
-
increased
#7
early-life exercise
increase
subdermal fat pad mass
mice
-
increased
#8
early-life exercise
increase
brain mass
mice
-
increased
#9
early-life exercise
decrease
heart ventricle mass
mice
-
decreased
#10
early-life exercise
increase
adult leptin concentration
mice
-
increased
#11
early-life WD
increase
adult wheel running
HR mice
-
increased
#12
early-life WD
increase
adult lean mass
mice
-
increased
#13
early-life WD
increase
adult preference for Western diet
mice
-
increased
#14
early-life treatment
no change
adult body fat
mice
no significant change
had no significant effect
#15
early-life treatment
no change
maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max)
mice
no significant change
had no significant effect
#16
Abstract

Exercise behavior is under partial genetic control, but it is also affected by numerous environmental factors, potentially including early-life experiences whose effects persist into adulthood. We studied genetic and early-life environmental effects on wheel-running behavior in a mouse model that includes four replicate high runner (HR) lines selectively bred for increased voluntary wheel running as young adults and four non-selected control (C) lines. In a full factorial design, mice from each line were granted wheel access or not and administered either standard or Western diet (WD) from weaning (3 weeks old) to 6 weeks of age (sexual maturity). In addition to acute effects, after a washout period of 8 weeks (∼6 human years) in which all mice had standard diet and no wheel access, we found both beneficial and detrimental effects of these early-life exposures. During the first week of treatments, WD increased distance run by 29% in C mice and 48% in HR mice (significant Diet × Linetype interaction), but diet effects disappeared by the third week. Across the three weeks of juvenile treatment, WD significantly increased fat mass (with lean mass as a covariate). Tested as adults, early-life exercise increased wheel running of C mice but not HR mice in the first week. Early-life exercise also reduced adult anxiety-like behavior and increased adult fasted blood glucose levels, triceps surae mass, subdermal fat pad mass, and brain mass, but decreased heart ventricle mass. Using fat mass as a covariate, early-life exercise treatment increased adult leptin concentration. In contrast, early-life WD increased adult wheel running of HR mice but not C mice. Early-life WD also increased adult lean mass and adult preference for Western diet in all groups. Surprisingly, early-life treatment had no significant effect on adult body fat or maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max). No previous study has tested for combined or interactive effects of early-life WD and exercise. Our results demonstrate that both factors can have long-lasting effects on adult voluntary exercise and related phenotypes, and that these effects are modulated by genetic background. Overall, the long-lasting effects of early-life exercise were more pervasive than those of WD, suggesting critical opportunities for health intervention in childhood habits, as well as possible threats from modern challenges. These results may be relevant for understanding potential effects of activity reductions and dietary changes associated with the obesity epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdiposityAnimalsDiet, WesternMiceMice, Inbred StrainsMotor ActivityPhenotype
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy65/10
Quality85/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations20
Citations/Year5.0
Relative Citation Ratio2.05
NIH Percentile75.2%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score1.35
Normalized Score0.63
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