A sucrose-rich diet affects triglyceride metabolism differently in pregnant and nonpregnant rats and has negative effects on fetal growth.

A sucrose-rich diet (SRD) causes hypertriglyceridemia in nonpregnant rats. To determine whether a SRD further enhances gestational hypertriglyceridemia, female rats were divided into the following two groups: 1) rats fed a SRD (63 g sucrose/100 g), and 2) rats that received the same diet except that the sucrose was replaced by an equal amount of cornstarch (CD). Half of the rats were mated and studied at d 20 of gestation. Body weight increase did not differ between virgin rats fed either diet, but the final body weight of pregnant rats fed SRD was lower than that of rats fed CD due to fewer fetuses per litter and lower fetal and placental weights. The SRD enhanced plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in virgin but not in pregnant rats; plasma triglycerides and FFA concentrations and the rate of triglyceride secretion into the plasma were higher in pregnant than in virgin rats fed SRD, but the increase in liver triglycerides due to SRD was higher in virgin rats. Both removal rate of a fat emulsion and adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity (LPL) were lower in virgin rats fed SRD than in those fed CD. They were lower in pregnant than in virgin rats fed CD. Placental and fetal liver triglyceride concentration and placental LPL were higher in rats fed SRD than in those fed CD. Both the increased triglyceride secretion by the liver and the decreased triglyceride removal from blood resulting in maternal hypertriglyceridemia may contribute to the negative effect of SRD on the developing fetus.