The influence of gestacional obesity on spleen cells in offspring

INTRODUCTION: Obesity induces physiological changes through pathways that exacerbate inflammatory responses. Notably, alterations in immune responses have been observed in the offspring of obese women; however, the effects on homeostasis regulation and immune responses in progeny, particularly concerning humoral responses and germinal center formation in secondary lymphoid organs such as the spleen, are not fully understood. (NML; Diseases. 2023 (1): 7).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the composition of B lymphocyte subtypes and germinal center formation in progeny at different postnatal ages.

METHODS: Female BALB/c mice were subjected to a high-fat diet for eight weeks before being paired for breeding. Offspring were analyzed at three different ages (1, 7, and 24 days postnatal), with spleens collected for flow cytometry and histological analysis.

RESULTS: Flow cytometry analyses showed that at the first time point (1 day old), the B cell populations in the spleens of offspring from the high-fat diet and control groups were similar, except when compared to older groups. In the 7- and 24-day groups, an increase in the CD19+IgM+ population and a decrease in the CD19+CD138+IgG2a+ population were observed. Histological data indicated a reduction in eosinophil numbers in the high-fat diet group compared to the control group. Additionally, no differences were noted in the population of follicular T lymphocytes (CD4+CD3+PD1+CXCR5+).

CONCLUSION: Preliminary results suggest that maternal obesity significantly affects the CD19+IgM and CD19+CD138+IgG2a+ populations, particularly in the early days of life, and alters eosinophil populations. Further experiments will be conducted to assess the functional state of these cells.

Ethics committee approval: CEUA-IBRAG nº 008/2024

Acknowledgment: FAPERJ, CAPES, CNPQ, FIOCRUZ.