INTRODUCTION: Maternal nutrition is a key determinant of offspring neurodevelopment. Investigating the impact of a mother's diet on her offspring will open up new possibilities for understanding developmental diseases in offspring and will also aid in preventative measures.

AIM(S): This study evaluated the effects of a maternal high-fat diet (HFD) and sodium butyrate (SB) supplementation during pregnancy and lactation on pro-inflammatory cytokines in the mouse offspring cerebellum.

METHOD(S): Female C57BL/6J mice were fed a control diet (CD, 10% energy from fat) or an HFD (45% energy from fat) for 8 weeks before mating. After conception, a subset of HFD-fed mice was supplemented with sodium butyrate (HFD+SB) in drinking water during pregnancy and lactation. Cerebellar samples were collected from male and female offspring at postnatal days (PND) 14 and 42. Cytokine levels (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) as well as total level of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were measured using ELISA.

RESULTS: No significant differences in the protein levels of IL-1β or TNF-α were observed between groups at PND 14 or PND 42. The protein level of IL-6 was reduced in the cerebellum of female offspring from the HFD+SB group at PND 14. Additionally, no changes in cerebellar SCFA levels were detected at the evaluated time points.

CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, maternal HFD did not induce marked cerebellar neuroinflammatory alterations during early postnatal development. However, SB supplementation during pregnancy and lactation may reduced IL-6 levels in female offspring, suggesting potential sex-specific protective effects. Further studies are needed to assess the long-term neuromodulatory effects of maternal HFD and SCFA supplementation and their impact on offspring neurodevelopment.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT: This work was supported by statutory funds of the Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, JU CM (N42/DBS/000403)and the National Science Centre (SONATA grant no. 2023/51/D/NZ5/02090).