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Published on: June 29, 2013
Postnatal catch-up growth after fetal protein restriction programs proliferation of rat preadipocytes
Vanesa V Bol1, Brigitte M Reusens, Claude A Remacle
1Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Life Science, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
Insights
Prenatal protein restriction followed by catch-up growth increases preadipocyte proliferation. This programming may lead to greater adipose tissue mass later in life.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Developmental Biology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Prenatal nutrition significantly impacts long-term health.
- Catch-up growth after nutritional insults may alter metabolic programming.
- Adipose tissue development is crucial for metabolic homeostasis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if prenatal protein restriction (LP) followed by catch-up growth programs rat preadipocytes for increased adipose tissue mass.
- To assess the effects of this nutritional strategy on preadipocyte proliferation and differentiation in vitro.
Main Methods:
- Rat dams were fed either a control (20% protein) or low-protein (8% protein) diet during gestation.
- Catch-up growth was induced in offspring via diet and litter size manipulation during lactation.
- Preadipocytes were isolated from weanling male pups for in vitro proliferation and differentiation assays.
- Gene expression analysis (leptin, cyclin D1, PPARgamma, SREBP-1c) and measurements of DNA, protein, and lipid accumulation were performed.
Main Results:
- Early-stage LP preadipocytes exhibited higher proliferation rates, DNA, and protein content compared to controls.
- mRNA expression of cyclin D1 was elevated, while PPARgamma and SREBP-1c were reduced in early-stage LP preadipocytes.
- No differences in lipid accumulation were observed at late differentiation stages, but leptin mRNA was enhanced in LP cells.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal protein restriction combined with catch-up growth enhances preadipocyte proliferation.
- This altered proliferation capacity in early development may contribute to increased adipose tissue mass.
- Nutritional programming during critical developmental windows has lasting effects on adipogenesis.
Abstract:
We studied the in vitro proliferation and differentiation of rat preadipocytes to investigate whether catch-up growth after prenatal protein restriction may program adipose precursor cells leading to development of increased adipose tissue mass. Pregnant rat dams were fed either an isocaloric low-protein diet (LP-8%) or control diet (C-20%). During lactation, in order to induce catch-up growth, dams from LP group were fed with the C diet and litter size was reduced to four pups instead of eight. Preadipocytes were isolated from weanling male pups (28 days of age). Differentiation and proliferation were assessed across time. At late stages of preadipocyte differentiation, no difference was observed in lipid accumulation of C or LP cultures but the mRNA expression of leptin was enhanced in LP cells. At early stages of culture, a higher DNA and protein content accompanied by a higher rate of proliferation was measured in adipocytes from LP cultures. Moreover, the mRNA expression of cyclin D1 was increased in these cells whereas the expression of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) and steroyl regulatory element binding protein (SREBP-1c) was significantly reduced during early stages. The results suggest that prenatal exposure to a LP followed by rapid catch-up growth is associated with a higher rate for proliferation in preadipocytes.
