Gestational programming: population survival effects of drought and famine during pregnancy

Abstract

The process whereby a stimulus or stress at a critical or sensitive period of development has long-term effects is termed "programming." Studies in humans and animals convincingly demonstrate that environmental perturbations in utero may permanently change organ structure and metabolism and/or alter homeostatic regulatory mechanisms among the offspring. These programmed changes may be the origins of adult diseases, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. Throughout evolution and development, humans and animals have been exposed to two common environmental stresses, drought and famine. Notably, drought-induced water deprivation is associated with dehydration anorexia and thus a concomitant potential nutrient stress. Our laboratory has performed studies among pregnant rat and sheep in which we simulate drought conditions via maternal dehydration and famine conditions via nutrient restriction. Maternal dehydration results in low-birth-weight offspring, which demonstrate gender-specific plasma hypernatremia and hypertonicity and arterial hypertension. Gestational nutrient restriction also resulted in low-birth-weight offspring. If permitted rapid catch-up growth by nutrient availability, these offspring demonstrate evidence of increased body weight and body fat, and leptin resistance as adults. Conversely, if the catch-up growth is delayed by nutrition restriction, the offspring exhibit normal body weight, body fat, and plasma leptin levels as adults. These studies indicate that osmoregulatory and cardiovascular homeostasis and phenotypic predisposition to obesity may be programmed in utero. Importantly, these results suggest that programming effects may be either potentiated or prevented by interventions during the neonatal period.

Mechanism of delayed puberty in rats whose mothers consumedHibiscus sabdariffaduring lactation

“…The water deprivation following the decreased fluid intake by the HS rats may have caused a state of hypernatremia in these rats (Ross & Desai, 2005) as observed in the present study. Also, aqueous extract of HS has been shown to be rich in Na + (Adigun et al, 2006) suggesting that consumption of aqueous extract of HS increases the body's Na + load.…”

“…The decreased food consumption in the two groups of HS dams in the present study may have been due to hypernatremia-induced dehydration-anorexia (Ross & Desai, 2005). The hypernatremia observed in the present study in the HS dams may have been due to a 1.07 ± 0.26 0.6 g/100 mL 1.01 ± 0.09* 2.13 ± 0.27* 4.98 ± 0.42 † 2.56 ± 0.88* 1.8 g/100 mL 1.09 ± 0.06* 2.26 ± 0.18* 2.54 ± 0.19 2.90 ± 0.18* PND, Postnatal day; N = 9/group; *, P < 0.05 versus control; † , P < 0.05 versus control and 1.8 g/100 mL.…”

Maternal consumption of aqueous extract of hibiscus sabdariffa during pregnancy attenuates pregnancy weight gain and postpartum weight loss

“…These observations may therefore suggest that exposure to an aqueous extract of HS during pregnancy decreases pregnancy weight gain and postpartum weight loss through a mechanism not yet fully understood. We, therefore, hypothesize that HS exposure that commenced on day one of pregnancy through PPD 34 in the exposed groups (A and B) may have induced a state of dehydration (water deprivation) in pregnancy, directly or indirectly, in these dams as evidenced by the reduced fluid intake (table 1) which created an osmotic stress (Ross and desai, 2005). Mojiminiyi et al (2000) have shown that consumption of aqueous extract of HS causes hypernatremia possibly through its diuretic action.…”

“…Mojiminiyi et al (2000) have shown that consumption of aqueous extract of HS causes hypernatremia possibly through its diuretic action. Water deprivation with the accompanying plasma hypernatremia is associated with dehydrationanorexia (Ross and Desai, 2005). This may have been responsible for the decreased food intake (table 2) and the consequent reduced weight gain (table 3) in the exposed groups.…”

Early life obesity and chronic kidney disease in later life

“…Suckling of IUGR pups by ad libitum-fed dams induces accelerated catch-up growth, which is related to an increased percentage of body fat in adulthood and high leptin levels [39]. In contrast, preventing early catchup growth in IUGR or small for gestational age (SGA) offspring may diminish the risk of obesity in later life [39,40].…”