Effects of Pectin Supplementation and 14 Weeks of Endurance Training on the Serum Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Levels and Lipid Profile of Obese Pregnant Mice

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of pectin supplementation and 14 weeks of endurance training on the serum atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels and lipid profile of obese pregnant mice.  This experimental study was conducted on 40 female laboratory mice (mean weight: 30+5 g), which were purchased from Tehran Pasteur Institute, Iran and received a high-fat diet with canola oil. The animals were randomly divided into four groups of 10, including control, pectin intake, endurance training, and pectin intake with endurance training. Training was performed for11 weeks (five sessions per week) with the intensity of 30-65% MEA on the treadmill. After becoming pregnant, the exercise groups were trained on a treadmill for three weeks five days per week with the intensity of 20-60% MEA).In the pectin groups, 400 milligrams of pectin per every kilogram of the body weight was injected gavage during days 2-19 of pregnancy. Data analysis was performed using the Kolmogorov- Smirnov test, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and least significant difference (LSD) test.  Maternal blood sampling was performed on day 19 of pregnancy to measure serum ANP, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), LDL/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio, reduced carbohydrate (RC), and HDL levels. The ANP levels decreased in the pectin group, while it increased in the exercise and exercise with pectin groups (P=0.056); however, the difference was not considered significant. Moreover, the serum levels of TC (P=0.012), TG (P=0.029), LDL (P=0.049), LDL/HDL (P=0.011), and RC (P=0.043) Significantly decreased in all the experimental groups (P=0.05), while the HDL levels significantly increased in these groups.  According to the results, pectin consumption and exercise could effectively decrease serum TC, TG, LDL, LDL/HDL ratio, and RC and increase HDL.