Chronic Maternal Undernutrition in the Rat Leads to Delayed Postnatal Growth and Elevated Blood Pressure of Offspring

Abstract

To determine the effects of chronic maternal undernutrition on postnatal somatic growth and blood pressure, pregnant dams were randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatment groups. A control group was fed ad libitum throughout pregnancy and a restricted group was fed 30% of ad libitum intake. From birth, feeding was ad libitum in both groups, and litter size was adjusted to eight pups per litter. Litter size was not significantly altered by the reduced maternal intake. Offspring of the restricted fed group were significantly smaller than offspring from the ad libitum fed group from birth until 12 wk of age, but by 30 wk had similar body weights. Blood pressure was measured by tail cuff plethysmography. Offspring from the restricted fed group were found to have significantly (p < 0.05) elevated systolic blood pressure (5-8 mm Hg) at 30, 48, and 56 wk of age. These data demonstrate that nutritional deprivation in the pregnant rat leads to changes in postnatal allometric growth patterns, to delayed catch-up growth, and to elevated blood pressure in adulthood. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that poor maternal nutrition in pregnancy may irreversibly alter programming of the development of cardiovascular homeostasis.

Exposure to undernutrition in fetal life determines fat distribution, locomotor activity and food intake in ageing rats

“…The Breier model was originally developed to consider the impact of fetal growth retardation on the later health of the offspring, and the 70% restriction of food intake achieves this goal, producing newborn pups that are considerably smaller than controls. 49 Our own intervention is less severe, even when low protein feeding is continued throughout gestation and does not produce growth-retarded offspring. The goal of our studies is to consider the impact of undernutrition within the normal range of intakes upon long-term health as this is more relevant to human diet health.…”

Epigenetic changes in early life and future risk of obesity

“…50 Global nutrient restriction to 30% of ad libitum fed throughout gestation induces a more severe change in phenotype compared with the maternal PR diet, which is comparable to intrauterine growth retardation. 51 Offspring born to dams fed with this diet during pregnancy are significantly smaller at birth than control offspring. They also exhibit higher systolic blood pressure, hyperinsulinaemia, hyperleptinaemia, hyperphagia, reduced locomotion and obesity.…”

A Life Course Perspective on Body Size and Cardio-metabolic Health

“…While an environmental exposure may influence body size in the short term, these "epigenetic" changes can have long lasting effects on disease risk. Maternal protein restriction might lead to smaller offspring and reduce methylation (and therefore enhance expression) of the angiotensinogen receptor gene in the offspring adrenal gland, thereby leading to high blood pressure, for example (Bogdarina et al 2007;Woodall et al 1996). Such epigenetic changes can occur from conception onward but, like the other anatomical and physiological pathways, are most sensitive to the environment during specific stages of the life course.…”