LOW-DOSE FRUCTOSE INGESTION DURING GESTATION AND LACTATION AFFECTS CARBOHYDRATE-METABOLISM IN RAT DAMS AND THEIR OFFSPRING

This study examined whether drinking fructose or glucose water with a balanced diet affects pregnant and lactating rats and their offspring. The animals were divided into three groups and drank tap water, 100 g /L fructose water or 100 g/L glucose water. The fructose-fed dams ate significantly more food but drank less water than the glucose-fed grou p. On d 19 of pregnancy, the fructose-fed dams had significantly heavi er livers and significantly higher plasma glucose and insulin concentr ations than dams consuming tap water. Five days after litters were wea ned, dams fed fructose had the heaviest body weights, significantly hi gher plasma glucose concentration compared with the group receiving ta p water and significantly higher plasma triglyceride concentration com pared with the glucose-fed group. Weanlings of the fructose-fed dams h ad significantly lower plasma glucose concentration but a significantl y higher plasma insulin concentration than the weanlings of the group receiving tap water. These findings suggest that intake of fructose du ring gestation can cause hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia in dams an d, at weaning, greater weight gain in dams and hyperinsulinemia in off spring. These abnormalities in dams and weanlings could be the result of insulin resistance.