Raniru Randunu - Sept. 21, 2011

Maternal omega-6 to omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio modifies lipid metabolism of the offspring of C57BL/6 mice

Current recommendations to replace saturated fatty acids with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have led to an increased consumption of omega-6 PUFA. Previous findings from our research have shown that maternal dietary fat intake modifies the regulation of metabolic pathways of offspring. We hypothesized that changing the maternal omega-6 to omega-3 PUFA ratio will induce alterations in lipid metabolism of the offspring. My findings showed that a lower omega-6 to omega-3 PUFA ratio in the maternal diet of C57BL/6 mice reduced plasma lipids at weaning, and the effects were gender specific.