Examining the potential benefits of (-)-epicatechin, (+)-catechin, and rutin on maternal and offspring cardiovascular outcomes in LDLr-/- mice exposed to an atherogenic environment during early development

Background: Maternal nutritional status can impact numerous early developmental processes. In certain cases, these effects can influence the risk their offspring can have for select chronic diseases later in life. Consequently, in this article we report on the effects of maternal consumption of high levels of certain flavonoids on the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) in an atherosclerosis-prone mutant mouse model. Methods: LDLr -/- mutant mice were fed a control fat (CF), high fat (HF), or the HF diet supplemented with epicatechin and catechin (HFEC) or rutin (HFRU), prior to pregnancy and during lactation, in order to explore whether the flavonoids influenced markers of vascular health in the lactating dams (lactation day (LD) 21). Post-weaning (postnatal day (PND) 22), offspring were challenged with an atherogenic environment (HF diet in the absence of flavonoids) and vascular health markers were assessed in the adult offspring (PND 60). Results: Dams fed the HF diet had elevated markers of atherosclerosis on LD 21 when compared to the dams fed with the control diet. Flavonoid consumption prior to pregnancy and during lactation had inconsistent effects on maternal markers of atherosclerosis (plasma cholesterol, aortic lipid accumulation, and oxidative stress biomarkers) at LD 21 compared to dams fed the HF diet without flavonoids. At PND 60, there were no differences in vascular health markers among the groups of LDLr -/- offspring whose mothers consumed the CF or the HF diet with or without flavonoids during lactation. Conclusions: Maternal consumption of the flavonoid-supplemented HF diets had modest effects on maternal markers of atherosclerosis. The exposure of offspring to the flavonoid-supplemented HF diets during early lactation had little effect on the cardiovascular parameters assessed in the adult offspring.