Maternal undernutrition in pregnancy and lactation programs impaired immune system development and function in male
Ron Beloosesky1,2, Mina Desai3, Makiko Yamada3
1OBGYN, https://ror.org/01fm87m50Rambam Health Care Campus, Israel.
Insights
Maternal undernutrition during pregnancy and nursing impairs neonatal immunity. Offspring exposed to food restriction throughout gestation and lactation showed reduced immune responses and altered white blood cell counts.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Developmental Biology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Maternal nutrition critically influences offspring development and immune system maturation.
- Prenatal and postnatal nutritional deficits can have lasting impacts on immune function.
- Understanding these effects is crucial for public health and pediatric care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term effects of maternal undernutrition during gestation and lactation on neonatal immune indices in male offspring.
- To assess changes in spleen and thymus weights, white blood cell counts, and cytokine responses following immune challenge.
Main Methods:
- Pregnant rats were subjected to either ad libitum feeding or 50% food restriction (FR) during gestation and/or lactation.
- Offspring were analyzed at day 1 and 3 weeks of age for immunological parameters.
- Measurements included organ weights, white blood cell differentials, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated tumor necrosis factor (TNF) levels.
Main Results:
- By 3 weeks of age, offspring from the FR/FR group (undernutrition during gestation and lactation) exhibited significantly decreased relative spleen weight and basal monocyte percentage compared to controls.
- Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated TNF-α levels were significantly reduced in the FR/FR group.
- Immune cell analysis revealed decreased lymphocyte percentages and increased monocyte and neutrophil percentages in the FR/FR group compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Maternal undernutrition during both gestation and lactation significantly attenuates neonatal immune function.
- These effects manifest as reduced basal monocyte counts and impaired pro-inflammatory cytokine responses.
- The findings highlight the critical importance of adequate maternal nutrition throughout pregnancy and nursing for robust offspring immune development.
Abstract:
This study examined the impact of maternal undernutrition during gestation and/or lactation on neonatal immune indices. From day 10 of gestation to term, pregnant rats received either ad libitum (AdLib) feeding or 50% food restriction (FR). After birth, pups were either nursed by their own dams or cross-fostered, resulting in three groups (n = 6 per group): a control group with AdLib feeding throughout (AdLib/AdLib), a group with FR only during gestation (FR/AdLib), and a group with FR during both gestation and lactation (FR/FR). At day of life 1 and at three weeks of age, spleen and thymus weights, as well as basal and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated TNF levels and white blood cell indices, were measured in male offspring. At day of life 1, immunological indices were similar among groups. By three weeks, monocyte percentage was significantly decreased in FR/FR compared with AdLib/AdLib (1.6 ± 0.5% vs. 3.1 ± 0.4%). Relative spleen weight (adjusted for body weight) was also significantly lower in FR/FR compared with both AdLib/AdLib and FR/AdLib. Following LPS administration, TNF-α levels were reduced in FR/FR compared with FR/AdLib and AdLib/AdLib (206 ± 28 vs. 511 ± 91 and 484 ± 59 pg/ml, respectively; P < 0.05). Moreover, in FR/FR offspring, monocyte (5.4 ± 1.1% vs. 2.0 ± 0.6% and 2.0 ± 0.7%) and neutrophil (50.6 ± 5.5% vs. 17.2 ± 2.4% and 20.0 ± 4.2%) percentages were significantly increased, while lymphocyte percentage (43.2 ± 5.9% vs. 80.0 ± 2.4% and 77.2 ± 4.4%) was decreased compared with FR/AdLib and AdLib/AdLib. These findings suggest that undernutrition during both prenatal and postnatal periods can attenuate neonatal immunity by decreasing basal monocyte counts and impairing cytokine responses.
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