Article,
Paternal dietary macronutrient balance and energy intake drive metabolic and behavioral differences among offspring
Affiliations
- [1] Univ Sydney, Charles Perkins Ctr, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia [NORA names: Australia; Oceania; OECD];
- [2] Univ Chicago, Dept Human Genet, Chicago, IL 60637 USA [NORA names: United States; America, North; OECD];
- [3] CNRS, F-06560 Valbonne, France [NORA names: France; Europe, EU; OECD];
- [4] Univ Cote dAzur, Inst Pharmacol Mol & Cellulaire, F-06560 Valbonne, France [NORA names: France; Europe, EU; OECD];
- [5] Univ Copenhagen, Ctr Basic Metab Res, Novo Nord Fdn, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark [NORA names: KU University of Copenhagen; University; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD]
Abstract
Paternal diet can influence the phenotype of the next generation, yet, the dietary components inducing specific responses in the offspring are not identified. Here, we use the Nutritional Geometry Framework to determine the effects of pre-conception paternal dietary macronutrient balance on offspring metabolic and behavioral traits in mice. Ten isocaloric diets varying in the relative proportion of protein, fats, and carbohydrates are fed to male mice prior to mating. Dams and offspring are fed standard chow and never exposed to treatment diets. Body fat in female offspring is positively associated with the paternal consumption of fat, while in male offspring, an anxiety-like phenotype is associated to paternal diets low in protein and high in carbohydrates. Our study uncovers that the nature and the magnitude of paternal effects are driven by interactions between macronutrient balance and energy intake and are not solely the result of over- or undernutrition.