Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 11, 2025
A Pulmonary Trunk Banding Model of Pressure Overload Induced Right Ventricular Hypertrophy and Failure
Published on: November 29, 2018
Protein malnutrition during lactation affects thoracic aortic tunica media thickness in Wistar rat pups
Ronaldo Miguel Carvalho1, Isabeliza Maria do Espírito Santo Rangel Ferreira2, Fausto Miranda3
1Fellow Master degree. Postgraduate Program in Interdisciplinary Surgical Science - Surgery Department - Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) - São Paulo (SP), Brazil.
Purpose:
To evaluate the morphological effects of a low-protein diet during maternal lactation on the offspring's thoracic aorta.
Methods:
Two female Wistar rats were mated with male of the same species at 4 months of age. Until the birth of the pups, all animals received commercial rat chow. After giving birth, the puerperal females were divided into two groups and adjusted the litter to five puppies per group: a control group that received commercial feed, and an experimental group whose diet included the same amount of calories, but 8% lower protein content. All animals' masses were measured throughout the lactation period, and the pups were euthanized after weaning at 21 days of age. The thoracic aorta was removed, histologically processed and stained with Weigert's resorcin-fuchsin for histomorphometric analysis of tunica media thickness.
Results:
Although both groups were born with similar body mass, during the 21 days of lactation the restricted protein group gained only 39% of the body mass of the control group. Histomorphometric analysis revealed that the restricted protein group had a significantly lower mean tunica media thickness than the control group.
Conclusions:
A low-protein diet for nursing mothers influences mass gain and aortic tunica media thickness in their offspring.
