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Published on: June 29, 2013
In utero protein restriction causes growth delay and alters sperm parameters in adult male rats
Fabíola C Toledo1, Juliana E Perobelli, Flávia P C Pedrosa
1Graduate Program in Cell and Structural Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Insights
Maternal protein restriction during pregnancy in rats leads to reduced offspring body weight and impaired male reproductive development. This fetal programming suggests long-term negative impacts on sperm quality and sexual health in adulthood.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Fetal programming suggests intrauterine conditions can influence adult disease risk.
- Investigating the impact of maternal nutrition on offspring sexual development is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of in utero protein restriction on male rat sexual development.
- To assess long-term reproductive outcomes in offspring exposed to maternal hypoproteinemia.
Main Methods:
- Pregnant Wistar rats were fed standard (17% protein) or hypoproteic (6% protein) chow.
- Male offspring were assessed for sexual development at prepubertal, peripubertal, and adult stages.
- Sperm parameters, body weight, and testicular cell counts were analyzed.
Main Results:
- In utero protein restriction reduced offspring body weight across all developmental phases.
- Adult male offspring exhibited decreased Sertoli cell number, sperm motility, and sperm counts.
- Increased sperm morphological abnormalities and cytoplasmic drop retention were observed in the protein-restricted group.
Conclusions:
- Maternal protein restriction during gestation alters male reproductive system programming in rats.
- This nutritional insult leads to impaired sperm quality and growth delay in adult male offspring.
- Fetal programming via protein restriction has lasting negative consequences on male reproductive health.
Background:
Recent studies have supported the concept of "fetal programming" which suggests that during the intrauterine development the fetus may be programmed to develop diseases in adulthood. The possible effects of in utero protein restriction on sexual development of rat male offspring were evaluated in the present study.
Methods:
Pregnant Wistar rats were divided into two experimental groups: one group treated with standard chow (SC, n = 8, 17% protein) and the other group treated with hypoproteic chow (HC, n = 10, 6% protein) throughout gestation. After gestation the two experimental groups received standard chow. To evaluate the possible late reproductive effects of in utero protein restriction, the male offspring of both groups were assessed at different phases of sexual development: prepubertal (30 days old); peripubertal (60 days old); adult (90 days old). Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney test were utilized. Differences were considered significant when p < 0.05.
Results:
We found that in utero protein restriction reduced the body weight of male pups on the first postnatal day and during the different sexual development phases (prepubertal, peripubertal and adult). During adulthood, Sertoli cell number, sperm motility and sperm counts in the testis and epididymal cauda were also reduced in HC. Furthermore, the numbers of sperm presenting morphological abnormalities and cytoplasmic drop retention were higher in HC.
Conclusions:
In conclusion, in utero protein restriction, under these experimental conditions, causes growth delay and alters male reproductive-system programming in rats, suggesting impairment of sperm quality in adulthood.
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