Influence of intrauterine undernutrition on the development of hypercholesterolemia in an animal model.
A low birth weight is a new risk factor for the development of premature atherosclerosis. The effect of intrauterine undernutrition on hypercholesterolemia in later life was studied in an experimental model using the Prague Hereditary Hypercholesterolemic (PHHC) rat. Compared to animals in the control group (Wistar rats), animals with an increased sensitivity to high-cholesterol diet (PHHC rats) display hypercholesterolemia. Only in PHHC animals, individuals undernourished in their intrauterine life (hypotrophic group, HG) had a significantly higher total cholesterol, compared with individuals without food restriction in pregnancy (eutrophic group, EG). Restricted food intake in pregnancy led to smaller nests and a decreased number of pups in each litter. We found no significant diferences in birth weight between HG and EG. In spite of similar birth weights in PHHC and Wistar rats, intrauterine undernutrition caused an increase in cholesterolemia in the HG group of the PHHC rats. The effect of intrauterine undernutrition on the development of hypercholesterolemia will most likely play a role in individuals with geneticaly determined increased susceptibility to a high-cholesterol diet. The use of this model of intrauterine undernutrition for the study of hypercholesterolemia has proved to be feasible.
Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Cardiac Centre, Laboratory for Atherosclerosis Research, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. peter.szitanyi@lfmotol.cuni.cz
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Szitányi
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Hanzlová
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Poledne
D000818:Animals; D001724:Birth Weight; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005508:Food Deprivation; D005865:Gestational Age; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000209:etiology*; D008098:Litter Size; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012727:Sex Characteristics
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary