Probiotics, Pregnancy and The Postpartum Period: Effects of Diet and Probiotic Treatment on Maternal and Offspring Health Outcomes in a Long-Evans Rat Model

Abstract

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis is largely focused on elucidating the mechanisms by which gestational events affect offspring health. This area of research has recently begun examining the interplay between offspring health and the health of those who gestate those offspring. Relatedly, animal and human evidence shows that perinatal administration of certain probiotic strains or gestational diets can impact maternal and offspring health. As such, in a Long-Evans rat model, the studies presented in this dissertation investigated the impact of perinatal nutritional factors on maternal and offspring health-related outcomes. Specifically, maternal and offspring behavioural and physiological variables were examined following maternal administration of the Lacidofil® probiotic (or its placebo) and specific perinatal diet (i.e., Western or standard diet). The first data chapter reports that giving either Western diet or Lacidofil® to mother rats increased certain active maternal care behaviours compared to standard diet and placebo administration, respectively. In the second data chapter, I report marked differences in the maternal cecal content microbiota based on Western diet and Lacidofil® administration. Regarding offspring health, the first study in the third data chapter reports that compared to offspring from placebo-administered mothers, offspring from mothers treated with Lacidofil® weighed more at birth and had higher anogenital distances. Finally, the second study in the third data chapter reports that offspring from Western diet-fed mothers weighed less than offspring from standard diet-fed mothers. Further, offspring from mothers who were given both Lacidofil® and Western diet had higher levels of plasma corticosterone than offspring from mothers given both Lacidofil® and standard diet. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that both the Lacidofil® probiotic and Western diet impacted the measured maternal and offspring health outcomes. Future research should continue examining the potential interactive effects of perinatal nutritional factors on both maternal and offspring health.