Maternal Undernutrition During Late Pregnancy Impairs Fetal Renal Development and Induces Apoptotic Pathway...

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Perinatal Medicine
• Animal Science

Background:

• Maternal nutrition during gestation critically influences fetal development.
• Nutritional restriction in late pregnancy may impact organogenesis, including kidney development.
• Understanding these effects is crucial for animal reproductive efficiency and human health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of maternal nutritional restriction in late pregnancy on fetal kidney development in sheep.
• To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying impaired fetal kidney development under nutritional stress.
• To provide evidence for the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) related to maternal undernutrition.

Main Methods:

• Sheep ewes were subjected to varying levels of nutritional restriction (RG1, RG2) or fed ad libitum (CG) from day 90 of gestation.
• Fetal kidney samples were collected on day 140 of gestation.
• Analyses included fetal kidney weight, DNA content, Masson staining for collagen, and Western blotting for apoptotic markers (p53, Bax, Caspase-3, cytochrome C).

Main Results:

• Maternal nutritional restriction significantly reduced fetal kidney weight and total DNA content.
• Histological analysis revealed increased total collagen fibers but decreased collagen I levels in restricted groups.
• Nutritional restriction upregulated proapoptotic proteins (p53, Bax) and activated apoptotic pathways (Caspase-3, cytochrome C).

Conclusions:

• Maternal nutritional restriction during late pregnancy adversely affects fetal kidney development in sheep.
• The observed effects are linked to disruptions in extracellular matrix balance and activation of the p53-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.
• This study offers insights into the molecular mechanisms of developmental programming and has implications for ruminant reproduction and human health.