Abstract
Individuals born preterm are at higher risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in adulthood, through mechanisms not completely understood. White adipose tissue in humans and rodents is a dynamic endocrine organ and a critical player in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis. However, the impact of preterm birth on white adipose tissue remains unknown. Using a well-established rodent model of preterm birth-related conditions in which newborn rats are exposed during postnatal days 3-10 to 80% of oxygen, we evaluated the impact of transient neonatal hyperoxia on adult perirenal white adipose tissue (pWAT) and liver. We further assessed the effect of a second hit with a high-fat high-fructose hypercaloric diet (HFFD). We evaluated 4-month-old adult male rats after 2 months of HFFD. Neonatal hyperoxia led to pWAT fibrosis and macrophage infiltration without modification in body weight, pWAT weight, or adipocyte size. In animals exposed to neonatal hyperoxia vs. room air control, HFFD resulted in adipocyte hypertrophy, lipid accumulation in the liver, and increased circulating triglycerides. Overall, preterm birth-related conditions had long-lasting effects on the composition and morphology of pWAT, along with a higher susceptibility to the deleterious impact of a hypercaloric diet. These changes suggest a developmental pathway to long-term metabolic risk factors observed clinically in adults born preterm through programming of white adipose tissue.