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Study · Nutrients · 2023Conflicts declared

Acesulfame K in pregnant mice and offspring skin healing

Bridge-Comer PE, Vickers MH, Ferraro S, Pagnon A, Reynolds CM, Sigaudo-Roussel D · Free full text

What it found

In mice, mothers given acesulfame K during pregnancy and nursing had offspring with more signs of skin inflammation before any wound, but their wounds were not larger than normal.

The study also looked at fructose and found different effects.

What they found

Animal and lab studies

Skin inflammation before wounds

In female offspring, acesulfame K increased a marker of inflammation called Tnfa in healthy skin compared to control and fructose diets. In male offspring, acesulfame K decreased a marker called Tgfb.

Wound size

Wounds were larger in both male and female offspring whose mothers ate fructose, compared to control and acesulfame K. Acesulfame K did not change wound size compared to control.

Wound healing speed

Fructose delayed healing at day 5 in both sexes but did not delay the day the wound closed. Acesulfame K did not affect the healing process compared to control.

Inflammation during healing

Acesulfame K reduced a marker for macrophages (CD68) in wounds compared to fructose in both males and females. Fructose increased macrophage staining in female offspring.

Gene activity during healing

Several inflammation-related genes changed between day 5 and day 9 after wounding, which may reflect the normal shift from inflammation to healing. Acesulfame K and fructose had some different effects on these genes.

What the authors conclude

“To our knowledge, this is the first report of maternal nutrition impacting skin inflammatory responses and differential wound healing responsiveness in offspring.”
Bridge-Comer PE, Vickers MH, Ferraro S, Pagnon A, Reynolds CM, Sigaudo-Roussel D, 2023

Also in their conclusions

  • They say acesulfame K and fructose differently altered skin inflammation markers in offspring, which could affect skin integrity and healing after a wound.
  • They note that the effects differed between male and female offspring, suggesting sex-specific programming.
  • They call for more research on how maternal diet affects skin health and wound healing in offspring.

How it was done

The authors wanted to know whether sweeteners or fructose consumed during pregnancy affect the skin and wound healing of offspring, since skin is important for metabolism and there is little information on this.

Female mice were given water, fructose, or acesulfame K in their drinking water throughout pregnancy and lactation. Their offspring had pressure wounds made on their backs at 9 weeks of age, and skin samples were taken to look at inflammation and healing.

What it can’t tell you

  • This was a study in mice, so the results may not be the same in people.
  • The study was small, with only 6 mice per sex per diet group, so the findings need confirmation in larger studies.
  • The offspring were only followed to 11 weeks of age, so it is unknown if the effects last longer.

The paper

Title
Maternal Intake of Either Fructose or the Artificial Sweetener Acesulfame-K Results in Differential and Sex-Specific Alterations in Markers of Skin Inflammation and Wound Healing Responsiveness in Mouse Offspring: A Pilot Study
Type
Study
Evidence
Animals and lab studies
Summarised from
Full text
Cite
Bridge-Comer PE, Vickers MH, Ferraro S, Pagnon A, Reynolds CM, Sigaudo-Roussel D (2023). Maternal Intake of Either Fructose or the Artificial Sweetener Acesulfame-K Results in Differential and Sex-Specific Alterations in Markers of Skin Inflammation and Wound Healing Responsiveness in Mouse Offspring: A Pilot Study. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu15112534Free full textPubMed 37299497DOI

Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error