Effect of severe maternal dietary restriction on growth and intra-abdominal adipose tissue weights in offspring rats
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Mikiko Suzuki1, Mayumi Shibanuma, Shuichi Kimura
1Showa Women's University Graduate School of Human Life Science, Tokyo, Japan. m-suzuki@swu.ac.jp
Insights
Maternal dietary restriction during pregnancy led to lower birth weight pups. These pups exhibited increased intra-abdominal fat later in life, suggesting potential metabolic syndrome risks linked to developmental nutrition.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Metabolic Health
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Rising low birth weight rates in Japan are linked to increased maternal slimness.
- Low birth weight is associated with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome.
- The impact of pregnancy dietary restriction on offspring development requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of maternal dietary restriction throughout pregnancy on offspring development and metabolic health.
- To examine the long-term consequences of reduced birth weight due to maternal nutritional challenges.
Main Methods:
- Pregnant rats were subjected to dietary restriction throughout gestation.
- Offspring birth weights and post-natal growth were monitored.
- Intra-abdominal adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue (BAT) function were assessed in adult male and female offspring.
Main Results:
- Dietary restriction resulted in significantly lower pup weights at 5 days.
- Catch-up growth was observed once milk yields normalized.
- Adult male and female offspring from the restricted group showed increased intra-abdominal adipose tissue.
- In males, increased fat was linked to lean body mass, not BAT function; in females, it related to both BAT function and lean body mass.
Conclusions:
- Maternal dietary restriction during pregnancy can lead to reduced birth weight and altered body composition in offspring.
- Increased intra-abdominal fat in offspring may indicate a predisposition to metabolic dysfunction.
- These findings highlight the critical role of maternal nutrition in programming long-term metabolic health.
Abstract:
In Japan, the number of low weight birth babies is increasing. The increase in the number of slim young women is considered to be associated with the rising number of low birth weight babies in Japan. In 1993, Barker et al. published highly influential findings indicating a relationship between low birth weight and increased risk of developing symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Here, we report on results that occur when dietary restriction is applied during all periods of pregnancy. It was shown that, at 5 d, the mean weight of pups in the dietary restriction group was lower than the mean weight of pups in the control group. Catch-up growth began when milk yields of the dietary restriction group pups attained the same levels as those of the control group pups. Intra-abdominal adipose tissue weights of the dietary restricted group were significantly higher than those of the control group in males at 280 d after birth. Intra-abdominal adipose tissue weights of the dietary restricted group had a tendency to be higher than those of the control group for female rats. In male rats, it is considered that increase in intra-abdominal adipose tissue is related to lean body mass but it is not related to the function of brown adipose tissue (BAT). In female rats, it is considered that the increase in intra-abdominal adipose tissue is related to the function of BAT and lean body mass.
