Quantificação de mastócitos no trato digestório da prole de ratas alimentadas com ração contendo 40% de lipídeos.

Abstract

Mast cells can be found in all parts of the gastrointestinal tract; these cells have several functions associated with allergic processes commonly mediated by IgE, in addition, mast cells seem to contribute to the physiological development of various tissues, as well as in non-allergic pathological processes. In this respect, mast cells activity appears to induce fibrosis in several diseases. The intake of high-fat diets has become common in the occident; however, despite its deleterious effects have been extensively reported and studied, little is known about the impact of such eating habit to children from mothers that ingested a high-fat diet during gestation. This is an important issue, since maternal ingestion of high levels of lipid can produce long-term changes in the offspring, a phenomenon called fetal programming, thus, the present study aimed at characterizing the mast cell population and collagen fibers in the gastrointestinal tract of 30 days old offspring from Wistar rat dams fed a 40% lipid diet during gestation and lactation. Control dams were submitted to a normolipid diet (3.5% of lipids). We observed a reduction in mast cell density only in the jejunum of offspring from mothers on a high-fat diet, however, the content of type I, type II and total collagen was not altered. Therefore, maternal high-fat diet induced fetal programming in the offspring, particularly affecting the small intestine and its mast cell population. At least 30 days after birth, a reduction in the mast cell population did not show any functional impact concerning the jejunal collagen matrix.