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Maternal protein restriction before pregnancy affects vital organs of offspring in Wistar rats
Sadhana Joshi1, Varsha Garole, Mahadeo Daware
1Biometry and Nutrition Group, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, India.
Insights
Maternal dietary restriction before conception impacts offspring organ development and leads to elevated blood glucose and cholesterol in adulthood. This highlights the critical role of pre-conception nutrition for long-term health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is known to affect fetal development.
- The impact of maternal undernutrition prior to conception on offspring health is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term effects of maternal dietary restriction before pregnancy on offspring organ weights and blood parameters.
- To determine if pre-conception nutritional status influences adult health outcomes in offspring.
Main Methods:
- Wistar rats were subjected to dietary restriction (80 g protein/kg) for 8 weeks pre-conception.
- Offspring were analyzed at birth, 94 days, and 180 days for organ weights and blood parameters.
- Control groups received adequate protein (160 g/kg) throughout gestation and life.
Main Results:
- Maternal weight gain during pregnancy was reduced in the restricted group.
- Offspring exhibited altered relative organ weights (brain, kidney, liver, heart) at different time points.
- Elevated blood glucose and cholesterol levels were observed in adult offspring from the restricted group.
Conclusions:
- Maternal undernutrition before conception has lasting detrimental effects on offspring organ development.
- Pre-conception dietary restriction in mothers leads to metabolic disturbances, including hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia, in adult offspring.
- This study underscores the importance of maternal nutritional status prior to pregnancy for offspring's long-term health.
Abstract:
Epidemiologic studies indicate that undernutrition during fetal growth can have long-term effects on adult health. However, it is not known whether these effects are also associated with maternal undernutrition before conception. The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of dietary restriction before pregnancy on the vital organs and blood parameters of offspring at different time points. Wistar female rats in the restricted group were fed a diet consisting of 80 g protein/kg for 8 weeks before pregnancy and switched to 160 g protein/kg (control) from day 0 of pregnancy, while animals from the control group were fed 160 g protein/kg throughout life. The progeny were studied at birth (n = 71), at 94 days (n = 20), and at 180 days (n = 16). Weight gain during pregnancy was significantly lower (P <.01) for dams in the restricted group. At birth, relative weight for brain was lower (P
