Metabolic effects of early protein undernourishment and renourishment in wistar rats

Abstract

ABSTRACT:Malnutrition remains an important public health condition by affecting mostly children. The present study aimed to examine the effects of prenatal protein undernourishment and postnatal renourishment on the metabolism of pre-adult animals. Forty-five male Wistar rats originating from different litters were used. The Nourished (N, n=15) and Undernourished (U, n=30) groups were maintained on proteic and hypoproteic diets (20% and 5% casein, respectively) from the intrauterine phase until the end of the experiment. The Renourished group (R) contained 15 animals, randomly chosen from U group, that consumed the N diet beginning on day 21 (weaning). All groups were maintained until day 60. The experimental data was acquired daily for body weight, feed and water intake, feces and urine excretion. Data analysis was made with the total results and the ratio between them. The U group animals developed uniformly sparse hair late and experienced intense sweating, features that were not observed during the experiment in the R and N animals groups. The R group had the largest weight gain and feed and water intake ratio/weight at experimental period, followed by the N group animals. The final body weight and food intake decreased gradually in the order N-R-U, but none of the other parameters showed a statistical difference between the N and R animals. Compared to groups N and R, the U group animals consumed 90% and 81% more food and water, respectively. Protein undernourishment induced metabolic dysfunction in the U group animals. The similarity in the experimental parameters of the N and R groups suggests that an early feeding correction was effective in reestablishing the organic functions of the R group animals.

Mung Bean Protein Suppresses Undernutrition-Induced Growth Deficits and Cognitive Dysfunction in Rats via Gut Microbiota-TLR4/NF-kB Pathway

“…The rate of body weight/tail length sharply decreased by 46.76% in LD rats compared to CD rats but was restored by 58.56% in MBPD rats compared to LD rats, which is consistent with Javed et al’s research, who claimed that addition of mung bean into ready-to-use therapeutic foods alleviated malnutrition . CD showed the highest body weight/tail length, which was evidenced in a previous report that 20% casein diet in early life significantly increased body weight compared to 5% protein diet . Although renourished by 20% casein, the body weights of undernourished rats were lower than those of nourished rats ( p < 0.05) because undernutrition-induced metabolic dysfunction needs time to restore, which performed with MBPD, but the increase in body weight/tail length in MBPD evidenced the desired changes by supplement legume protein to improve malnutrition .…”

“…22 CD showed the highest body weight/tail length, which was evidenced in a previous report that 20% casein diet in early life significantly increased body weight compared to 5% protein diet. 23 Although renourished by 20% casein, the body weights of undernourished rats were lower than those of nourished rats (p < 0.05) because undernutrition-induced metabolic dysfunction needs time to restore, which performed with MBPD, but the increase in body weight/tail length in MBPD evidenced the desired changes by supplement legume protein to improve malnutrition. 23 Similarity, better digestibility (73%) and a higher protein efficiency ratio of mung bean (4.29) evidenced the significant improvements in undernourished rats.…”

“…23 Although renourished by 20% casein, the body weights of undernourished rats were lower than those of nourished rats (p < 0.05) because undernutrition-induced metabolic dysfunction needs time to restore, which performed with MBPD, but the increase in body weight/tail length in MBPD evidenced the desired changes by supplement legume protein to improve malnutrition. 23 Similarity, better digestibility (73%) and a higher protein efficiency ratio of mung bean (4.29) evidenced the significant improvements in undernourished rats. 4 The same trend was also observed for the improvement of ACE-2 levels in the serum, which were decreased by 35.03% after 9 weeks of feeding with 7% diets and increased by 42.72% after 6 weeks of administration of MBPD, which showed no significance with CD (p < 0.05) (Figure 1b), suggesting the ameliorating effects of MBPD on rats exposed to undernutrition.…”