Reece

Nutrition is critical during pregnancy, shaping long-term health outcomes for fetal offspring. The nutrients choline and DHA each play a vital role in regulating processes like DNA methylation, lipid transport, and structuring cell membranes. Research suggests that choline improves metabolism by producing phosphatidylcholine, a transport mechanism that packages fats and carries them to tissues for energy. This package includes DHA-phosphatidylcholine, a type of phosphatidylcholine made out of DHA. While their individual roles are clear, some research has explored whether choline and DHA interact synergistically to improve metabolic outcomes. The research goal for this project proposal is to determine whether choline and DHA reduce metabolic dysfunction in obese mouse offspring, and if they are more effective when supplemented together. The experiment will involve the offspring of obese female mice, fed a high-fat diet with choline and DHA. Once euthanized, we will use histology/staining to measure fat size and area, as well as PCR/ELISA to measure gene expression for genes regulating insulin resistance. We hypothesize that choline and DHA supplementation will reduce fat tissue expansion and accumulation and lower insulin resistance. We also hypothesize that choline and DHA together will perform better than either choline or DHA alone (and have a synergistic effect). This project will provide insight into how nutrients shape and combat obesity and how we can protect metabolism from the impacts of a Western diet. It will also provide evidence of the types of genes and pathways relevant to clinical research.