Weanling Offspring of Dams Maintained on Serine-Deficient Diet Are Vulnerable to Oxidative Stress

Serine plays an important role in the antioxidant defense system. However, the effects of maternal serine deficiency on the antioxidant ability of weanling offspring have not been reported. In the present study, we investigated the oxidative status of offspring of dams that are maintained on serine-deficient diet and subjected to diquat challenge. Individual pregnant animals were randomly divided into two dietary groups, namely, the control diet group and the serine- and glycine-deficient diet group. Samples were collected from weanling offspring at the age of 3 weeks after diquat challenge. Our results showed that maternal serine deficiency did not affect the levels of antioxidant enzymes and reactive oxygen species, as well as the expression of cellular and mitochondrial stress markers (Hspd1 and Hspa1a), which indicated that maternal serine deficiency did not affect basal oxidative status in weanling offspring. However, the weanling offspring were found to be vulnerable to oxidative challenges. Furthermore, our results suggested that the dysfunctional antioxidant system in response to oxidative stress in offspring of dams fed with serine-deficient diet was primarily caused by reduced availability of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. Furthermore, impairment of the antioxidant defense system caused by maternal serine deficiency was mediated by the Akt/AMPK/Sirt1 pathway. Our results indicated that maternal serine availability is important for maintaining antioxidant defense against oxidative challenge in weanling offspring.