Science 28Feb2020

Kimuraet al.,Science 367 , eaaw8429 (2020) 28 February 2020 8of12

Fig. 6. Propionate supplemen-
tation of pregnant mothers
results in offspring resistance
to obesity.(A) Experimental
scheme (left). Body weight
changes during HFD trial
(middle) (n= 11 to 13 animals
from four litters per group).
Tissue weight (right) (n=11to
13 tissues from four litters per
group). (B) Plasma glucose,
TGs, NEFAs, and total choles-
terol levels (n= 8 to 13 plasma
samples from four litters per
group). (C) Body temperature
(left) (n= 6 or 8 animals from
four litters per group) and heart
rate (right) (n= 6 or 9 animals
from four litters per group).
(D) TH expression in E18.5 whole
heart (n= 8 tissues of embryos
from three litters per group)
and representative Western
blots. (E)GcgmRNA expression
and GLP-1 protein levels in the
colon (E18.5) (left) (n= 8 tissues
of embryos from three litters
per group). Expression ofIns2
mRNA and insulin protein levels
in the pancreas (E18.5) (right)
(n= 8 tissues of embryos from
three litters per group).
(F) Plasma insulin (left) (n=
8 plasma samples of mothers
andn= 8 plasma samples
of embryos from eight litters per
group) and plasma glucose
(right) (n= 8 plasma samples
of mothers andn= 8 plasma
samples of embryos from eight
litters per group) levels in
mothers and embryos (E18.5).
Male mice were analyzed at
16 weeks of age [(A) to (C)].
Student’sttest [(A) to (F)];
*P< 0.01 and P<0.05.
Data are presented as means ±
SEM. LFi, offspring derived
from ICR LFi mothers; propio-
nate, offspring derived from
ICR propionate-supplemented
mothers [(A) to (C)].

20

Pancreatic insulin

(ng/mg tissues)

15

5

0

10

**

Relative mRNA expression

(Ins2

/18S

)1.5

1

0.5

0

2 *

Relative mRNA expression LFiPropionate LFiPropionate

(Gcg

/18S )

1.5

1

0.5

0

2 *

0

1

2

3

5

Colonic total GLP-1(pmol /mg tissues)

**

4

LFiPropionate LFiPropionate

D

B

C

LFiPropionate

0

36

38

40

Body temperature (

C) *

LFiPropionate

0

600

720

840

Heart rate (beats/min)

**

A

E

F

0

40

20

80

60

Body weight (g)

4 8 12 16

Weeks of age

LFi

Propionate

*

* **

LFiPropionate

0

100

200

300

Plasma glucose (mg/dL)

**

LFiPropionate

0

20

40

80

TGs (mg/dL)

*

60

LFiPropionate

0

0.1

0.2

0.4

NEFAs (mEq /L)

*

0.3

LFiPropionate

0

100

200

500

Total cholesterol (mg/dL)

**

300

400

Relative protein expression

(TH/

-actin)1.5

1

0.5

0

2.5 **

2

TH

• actin

LFiPropionate

epi peri sub liver

0

2

4

6

8

Tissue weight (g)

WAT

* ** **

LFi

Propionate

0

0.5

1.5

2

Mo E18.5

*

Insulin (ng/mL)

1

0

50

150

200

Mo E18.5

*

Plasma glucose (mg/dL)

100

Pregnancy

Conventional Mother

Conventional Foster MotherConventional Foster Mother

After weaning,

High-fat diet feeding

After weaning,

High-fat diet feeding

Conventional Mother

+5% propionatediets

Low-fiber diet SCFAs diet

RESEARCH | RESEARCH ARTICLE