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Maternal Protein Restriction Modulates Angiogenesis and AQP9 Expression Leading to a Delay in Postnatal Epididymal
Talita de Mello Santos1, Marilia Martins Cavariani2, Dhrielly Natália Pereira3
1Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Botucatu 18618-970, SP, Brazil. talita_mellosantos@yahoo.com.br.
Insights
Maternal protein restriction during pregnancy impacts fetal development, leading to reduced epididymal microvascularity and altered AQP9 and VEGFr-2 expression in offspring. This affects male fertility by delaying epididymis development.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Maternal nutrition significantly influences fetal development and long-term health.
- Protein restriction during gestation and lactation can lead to epididymal dysfunctions in male offspring.
- Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and aquaporins (AQPs) are crucial for male reproductive tract development and function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of maternal protein restriction on epididymal angiogenesis and aquaporin (AQP) expression during early postnatal development.
- To assess the effects on key molecules regulating the epididymal microenvironment and male fertility.
Main Methods:
- Pregnant rats were fed either a normoprotein or low-protein diet throughout gestation and lactation.
- Offspring epididymides were analyzed at postnatal days 7 and 14 for morphometry, microvascular density, and expression of VEGF-A, VEGFr-2, AQP1, and AQP9.
- Quantitative analyses were performed on tissue samples.
Main Results:
- Maternal low-protein diet significantly decreased AQP9 and VEGFr-2 expression in offspring epididymides.
- Reduced epididymal microvascular density and altered epithelial morphometric features were observed.
- No significant changes in AQP1 expression were noted at the early developmental stages.
Conclusions:
- Maternal protein restriction adversely affects epididymal development by impairing microvascularization and altering key molecular expressions (AQP9, VEGFr-2).
- These changes contribute to morphometric alterations, suggesting a developmental delay in the epididymis.
- The findings highlight the critical role of maternal nutrition in establishing male reproductive health.
Abstract:
The maternal nutritional status is essential to the health and well-being of the fetus. Maternal protein restriction during the perinatal stage causes sperm alterations in the offspring that are associated with epididymal dysfunctions. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor, VEGFr-2, as well as aquaporins (AQPs) are important regulators of angiogenesis and the epididymal microenvironment and are associated with male fertility. We investigated the effects of maternal protein restriction on epididymal angiogenesis and AQP expression in the early stages of postnatal epididymal development. Pregnant rats were divided into two experimental groups that received either a normoprotein (17% protein) or low-protein diet (6% protein) during gestation and lactation. At postnatal day (PND)7 and PND14, male offspring were euthanized, the epididymides were subjected to morphometric and microvascular density analyses and to VEGF-A, VEGF-r2, AQP1 and AQP9 expression analyses. The maternal low-protein diet decreased AQP9 and VEGFr-2 expression, decreased epididymal microvascularity and altered the morphometric features of the epididymal epithelium; no changes in AQP1 expression were observed at the beginning of postnatal epididymal development. Maternal protein restriction alters microvascularization and affects molecules involved in the epidydimal microenvironment, resulting in morphometric alterations related to a delay in the beginning of epididymis postnatal development.
