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Maternal undernutrition model of two generations of rats: Changes in the aged retina
Guoda Laurinaviciute1, R Simkunaite-Rizgeliene1, V Zalgeviciene1
1Department of Anatomy, Histology and Anthropology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Insights
Maternal malnutrition impacts offspring retina morphology across generations. Second-generation offspring showed increased Müller cell activity and microglial cells, suggesting lasting effects of poor maternal nutrition on retinal health.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Developmental Biology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Maternal nutrition is crucial for fetal development, including the eye.
- Undernutrition during pregnancy can have long-term health consequences for offspring.
- The impact of maternal dietary restrictions on retinal structure and cellular changes across generations is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of maternal undernutrition on retinal morphology in two generations of aged Wistar rats.
- To evaluate changes in retinal layers, macroglia, microglia, and retinal ganglion cells following maternal dietary restriction.
Main Methods:
- Wistar rats from mothers with pre-pregnancy or pre- and during-pregnancy food restriction were analyzed across two generations.
- Retinal tissues were processed for hematoxylin and eosin staining to measure layer thickness.
- Immunohistochemistry for glial fibrillary acidic protein, ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1, and RNA-binding protein with multiple splicing was performed.
- Digital image analysis was used to quantify cellular changes.
Main Results:
- Atrophy of the photoreceptor layer and degeneration of the outer nuclear layer were observed in offspring from restricted diet groups compared to controls.
- Second-generation offspring exhibited higher Müller cell activity and increased microglial cell numbers.
- Second-generation offspring had greater numbers of microglial and retinal ganglion cells than first-generation offspring.
Conclusions:
- Maternal undernutrition can lead to retinal degeneration and Müller cell activation in offspring, with effects potentially persisting into the second generation.
- The observed increase in microglial and retinal ganglion cells in the second generation warrants further investigation.
- Maternal nutritional status is a significant factor influencing retinal development and health across generations.
Abstract:
The impact of maternal undernutrition on morphological changes of the retina was assessed in two generations of aged offspring. Wistar 18 rats (9 of each generation of 20-month-old female offspring; in total - 27 eyes) were analyzed. The first generation offspring were born to mothers who: (a) were restricted to food only before pregnancy (pre-pregnancy); (b) whose food was restricted before and during pregnancy. The control group and all the offspring were fed normally. After enucleating the eyes, paraffin sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The thickness of retina layers was measured. Cryosections were immunostained using glial fibrillary acidic protein, ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule1, RNA-binding protein with multiple splicing for evaluation of macroglia, microglia and retinal ganglion cells by digital image analysis tools. Our data have shown atrophy of photoreceptor layer and degeneration of outer nuclear layer in all investigated groups, but less damage was found in the control group. Higher Müller cell activity and greater number of microglial cells was observed in the second generation offspring born from both restricted diet groups. Higher numbers of microglial and retinal ganglion cells were observed in the second generation in comparison to the first generation offspring. Malnutrition of the mother may be one of the possible causes of degeneration of the outer layers of the retina and activation of Müller cells in the second generation offspring. The effect of maternal nutritional restriction on the number of microglial and retinal ganglion cells is unclear.
