Differential effects in male adult rats of lifelong coconut oil exposure versus during early-life only

Abstract We investigated the effects of maternal coconut oil supplementation during breastfeeding on the endocrine-metabolic profiles of offspring and the impact of continued exposure throughout life. Rat mothers were separated into: soybean oil (SO); and coconut oil (CO) groups and received the oils through gavage (0.5 g/kg of BW) and had free access to standard chow. After weaning, half of the pups from CO group continued receiving coconut oil in chow (CO + C), while SO and the other half of CO group received standard chow. Offspring were killed at postnatal day 180. CO and CO + C offspring had higher body masses, but only CO had higher visceral fat and lower lean mass. CO group exhibited hyperphagia and hyperleptinemia while CO + C group exhibited hypophagia. CO group had higher T3 and TSH. Coconut oil led to long-term overweight, hyperphagia, hyperleptinemia and thyroid dysfunction, whereas the continuous exposure throughout life prevented most of these dysfunctions.