Dietary lipids during early pregnancy differently influence adipose tissue metabolism and fatty acid composition in pregnant rats with repercussions on pup's development.

Pregnant rats received soybean (SO), olive (OO), fish (FO) and linseed (LO) oil diets from conception to d12 of gestation (early diets) and standard diet thereafter. At d12 and d20 the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity was evaluated in maternal adipose tissues (ATs). Fatty Acid (FA) profile was determined in maternal lumbar AT (LAT), in milk and in pup's plasma and brain. LPL activity was higher in ATs at d12 than d20, all groups presenting hypertriglyceridemia at d20. At d12, the LO diet resulted higher LPL activity and incorporation of 18:3 n−3 into LAT. FA profile in maternal LAT at d20 and colostrum was similar to early diets, reflected also in FA composition of pup's plasma. In FO, brain phospholipids had higher 22:6 n−3 without affecting arachidonic acid. These results suggest that specifics dietary FA in early pregnancy modulates lipid metabolism and the provision of LC-PUFA in milk and pups brain.