Low and high protein levels during pregnancy affect maternal body mass and composition as well as offspring birth weight in a porcine model

Abstract

It is now increasingly recognized that exposure to an imbalanced nutrition both in utero and in early postnatal life are related to a higher propensity to become obese in later life. This phenomenon is known as the Hales and Barker's ‘thrifty phenotype’ hypothesis. Less is however known about the underlying alterations of maternal body mass (BM) development and metabolic conditions. We investigated effects of isoenergetic diets containing either low (LP, 6%; n=12), high (HP, 30%; n=12) or control protein (CP, 12%; n=12) levels in young German Landrace sows from insemination (age 8 mo, 148 kg BM) to parturition (term 115 d). Body fatness was assessed by backfat ultrasound (BFU) measurements. Plasma was collected at −5, +24, +66, +108 gestational d (GD). Sows fed LP gained 45.3 kg BM until 109 GD, which was less than in CP and HP (66.4, 62.6; P<0.05). During the same time period BFU increased by 3.18, 4.06, and 4.87 mm in HP, LP and CP, respectively (P<0.05). Mean piglet birth weight was lower in LP and HP than in CP (1.16, 1.21, 1.38 kg; P<0.05) with no difference in litter size. Maternal plasma urea increased in HP and decreased in LP (P<0.05). We conclude that the porcine model is suitable to study maternal diet effects. LP and HP diets during pregnancy are detrimental for fetal growth. The underlying mechanisms need to be determined.Funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (ME 1420/8‐1), Bonn, Germany