Maternal and postweaning WSD Exposure are associateed with periportal fibrosis. Credit: Liver International (2025). Doi: 10.1111/live.16236
When mothers eat a diet high in fat and sugars, their unborn babies can develop liver stress that Continues into early life. A new study Published in the journey Liver International Sheds light on changes to the fetus’s bile acid, which affects how liver disease development and prograsses.
Bile acids typically help with digestion and absorb dietary fats in the small intestine, but when they have excess excessive levels, they are toxic toxic and can damage the liver. While the mother can detoxify the acids, the fetus lacques that ability. Bile acids may re-circulate to the mother for detoxification, but if they do’t, they build up in the fetal liver, setting the stage for future problems.
The Findings Sugged that Early Exposure to Excess Bile acids in the Womb May Be One Important Factorling The Early Development of Development of Metabolic Dysociateed Steatotic Liver DISEASE (MASELD) Which affects up to 30% of youth.
“It’s a huge public health concern, as we know mothers with obesity or that a poor diet can predispos the next generation to a risk for obesity, diabetes and innocent metabolic days The womb, thus completeing a vicious cycle from mother to infant, “Said jed friedman, ph.d.d., associate Vice Provost for Diabetes Programs at the University of Oklahoma HELHOMA HELHOMA HELHOMA HELHOMASTES Ou Health HAROLD HAMM Diabetes Center. Friedman was co-Senior Author of the Study with Stephanie Wesolowski, Ph.D., of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
By the time the offspring studed was Juveniles, they Had Liver Damage, Including Including Amounts of a Protein Called Collagen, Who is Linked To Fibrosis (A Build-Op of Scar Tissue) Cells involved in fibrosis. The High-Fat Diet also LED to Changes in how some liver genes worked, particularly there related to bile acid processing. These changes are persisted regardless of what the offspring ate after being weaned.
In addition, offspring with mothers a high-fat diet Had more Bile Duct Cells (Cells that Drain Bile From The Liver), Suggesting the liver was trying to compensate for damage.
“This study provides evidence that masld originates in the womb, influenced at least in part by a mother’s high-faat diet,” Friedman said. “The discovery of elevated bile acid levels in fetuses May provide insights into the early stages of masld and its progression before it works.
“A mother’s diet during pregnancy plays a powerful role in shaping her baby’s future health. Later in life. “
More information:
Michael j. nash et al, Maternal Western Diet Programmes Bile acid dysregulation and hepatic fibrosis in fetal and juvenile macaques, Liver International (2025). Doi: 10.1111/live.16236
Citation: Mother’s High-Fat Diet Can Cause Liver Stress in Fetus, Study Shows (2025, March 13) Retrieved 13 March 2025 from
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