Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40524248›Full record

ArticleBiology of sex differences2025

Gestational saccharin consumption disrupts gut-brain axis glucose homeostasis control in adolescent offspring rats in a sex-dependent manner.

Beatriz Pacheco-Sánchez, Sonia Melgar-Locatelli, Raquel López-Merchán, María José Benítez-Marín, Marta Blasco-Alonso, Ernesto González-Mesa, Rubén Tovar, Pablo Rubio, Juan Suárez, Carlos Sanjuan and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Biology of sex differences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Beatriz Pacheco-Sánchez *Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental. Hospital Universitario de Málaga, 29010, Málaga, Spain.
Sonia Melgar-Locatelli *Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Málaga, Spain.
Raquel López-MerchánInstituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Málaga, Spain.
María José Benítez-MarínResearch Group in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Epigenetics, Women's Diseases and Reproductive Health, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma Bionand, 29071, Málaga, Spain.
Marta Blasco-AlonsoResearch Group in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Epigenetics, Women's Diseases and Reproductive Health, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma Bionand, 29071, Málaga, Spain.
Ernesto González-MesaResearch Group in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Epigenetics, Women's Diseases and Reproductive Health, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma Bionand, 29071, Málaga, Spain.
Rubén TovarUnidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental. Hospital Universitario de Málaga, 29010, Málaga, Spain.
Pablo RubioInstituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Málaga, Spain.
Juan SuárezInstituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Málaga, Spain.
Carlos SanjuanEuronutra S.L. Calle Johannes Kepler, 3, 29590, Málaga, Spain.
Fernando Rodríguez de FonsecaInstituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Málaga, Spain.
Francisco AlénDepartamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain. falenfar@ucm.es.
Marialuisa de CegliaUnidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental. Hospital Universitario de Málaga, 29010, Málaga, Spain. marialuisa.deceglia@ibima.eu.
Patricia RiveraUnidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental. Hospital Universitario de Málaga, 29010, Málaga, Spain. patricia.rivera@ibima.eu.

Funding

Instituto de Salud Carlos III CP19/00068Instituto de Salud Carlos III IFI21/00024Instituto de Salud Carlos III PT23/00082Junta de Andalucía P18-TP-5194Junta de Andalucía PI21/00291Junta de Andalucía RH0081-2021
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCertain events that occur in early life, such as changes in nutrition, can promote structural and functional modifications in brain development, projecting to either short, medium, and/or long terms, resulting in metabolic programming. These effects depend on the timing, intensity, and duration of exposure, and are proposed to be the cause or contribute to chronic adult disorders. Recent studies have proposed that artificial non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS), such as saccharin, can be included as one of these developmental disruptors. Saccharin consumption during pregnancy is strongly discouraged, as it can cross through the placenta and accumulate in the fetus, potentially impacting metabolic control for life. However, the mechanisms underlying the metabolic syndrome induced by maternal NNS consumption during pregnancy are not well understood. Some studies suggest that NNS may affect sweet taste receptors in the adult's guts, leading to changes in the release of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and insulin. The objective of the study is to investigate whether maternal saccharin consumption during pregnancy affects the gut-brain connection, leading to alterations in insulin/GLP-1 signaling during neurodevelopment until adolescence.

methodsPregnant rats were administered 0.1% saccharin in drinking water throughout gestation, and the main components of the insulin/GLP-1 signaling pathway were analyzed in the plasma, small intestine and hypothalamus of the offspring after weaning. Perinatal exposure to saccharin was linked to disrupted glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in both male and female offspring.

resultsWe identified sex-dependent mechanisms that affected GLP-1 signaling in the intestine, associated with the expression of taste receptors and glucose transporters. These alterations affected the gut-brain axis and disrupted hypothalamic signaling associated with glucose regulation and food intake, primarily involving the GLP-1, leptin, and insulin signaling pathways.

conclusionsThese results suggest that developmental NNS exposure might contribute to the growing alteration in energy metabolism.

Indexed as

BrainBrain-Gut AxisGlucosePrenatal Exposure Delayed EffectsSaccharinSex CharacteristicsAnimalsFemaleGlucagon-Like Peptide 1HomeostasisInsulinMalePregnancyRatsRats, Sprague-DawleyGlucagon-Like Peptide 1GlucoseInsulinSaccharinDevelopmentGestationGlucagon-like peptide-1InsulinNon-nutritive sweetenersSaccharinToxicology

Identifiers

PMID40524248
PMCPMC12172230

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.