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Fishing for Solutions: How Pre-Conceptional Fish Oil Supplementation in Obese Fathers Reduces Risk of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Offspring Mice.

Molecular nutrition & food research
March 1, 2025
Junhui Yang et al. (3 authors)
Journal ArticleAnimal Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine whether fish oil supplementation in obese male mice before conception could improve the metabolic health of their offspring, particularly in reducing markers of fatty liver disease.

Results Summary

Paternal fish oil supplementation significantly reduced fatty acid synthesis and improved glucose metabolism in male offspring, while increasing fatty acid oxidation. Female offspring showed less pronounced effects.

Population

Male mice fed a high-fat diet, with offspring analyzed at 8 weeks of age.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

10 weeks

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (9)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
fish oil (FO) supplementation
decrease
markers of obesity
-
-
has beneficial effects in reducing
#1
paternal high fat (HF) diet
increase
markers of inflammation
male offspring
-
had higher levels of
#2
paternal high fat (HF) diet
increase
markers of fatty acid synthesis
male offspring
-
had higher levels of
#3
paternal FO supplementation
decrease
fatty acid synthesis
male offspring
-
significantly reduced
#4
paternal FO supplementation
decrease
glucose metabolism
male offspring
-
significantly reduced
#5
paternal FO supplementation
increase
fatty acid oxidation
male offspring
-
increasing
#6
paternal FO supplementation
no change
fatty acid synthesis, glucose metabolism, and fatty acid oxidation
female offspring
-
had a less pronounced effect
#7
paternal FO supplementation
decrease
MAFLD
male offspring
-
attenuates the development of
#8
paternal diet
no change
offspring body weight
offspring
-
was not significantly impacted
#9
Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a chronic condition with hepatic fat accumulation. The intergenerational effect of obesity has predominantly focused on mothers, with limited studies on paternal obesity. Nutritional intervention with fish oil (FO) has beneficial effects in reducing markers of obesity. We hypothesized that supplementing obese fathers with FO before conception could enhance the metabolic health of their offspring liver. Male mice were assigned to low-fat (LF), high fat (HF), or HF supplemented with FO for 10 weeks. Subsequently, these males were mated with females on a chow diet. Offspring were sacrificed at 8 weeks, and liver tissues were analyzed for gene expression and histology. Offspring body weight was not significantly impacted by paternal diet. However, male offspring of HF fathers had higher levels of markers of inflammation and fatty acid synthesis compared to offspring of LF fed fathers. Paternal FO supplementation significantly reduced fatty acid synthesis and glucose metabolism, while increasing fatty acid oxidation in male offspring, with a less pronounced effect in female offspring. These findings suggest that FO supplementation in obese fathers prior to conception attenuates the development of MAFLD in male offspring. This data underscores the significance of paternal nutritional intervention in promoting offspring health.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AnimalsFish OilsMaleNon-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseFemaleObesityDietary SupplementsMice, Inbred C57BLDiet, High-FatLiverMiceFathersPregnancyFatty Acids
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy85/10
Quality78/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations1
Citations/Year1.0
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score1.37
Normalized Score0.70
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