title: Comparison of two models of intrauterine growth restriction for early catch-up growth and later development of glucose intolerance and obesity in rats.
abstract: Two models of intrauterine growth restriction, maternal food restriction (FR), and dexamethasone (DEX) exposure were compared for early postnatal catch-up growth and later development of glucose intolerance and obesity in Sprague-Dawley rats. Mated dams were randomly divided into three groups at 10 days gestational age. Group FR was food restricted (50% of nongestating rats) during the last 11 days of gestation; Group DEX received DEX injections during the last week of gestation, and Group CON, the control group, had no intervention. Birth weight, catch-up growth, body weight, and food intake were measured in male offspring for 22 wk. Body composition, blood glucose, and plasma insulin in response to a glucose load were assessed at 8, 16, and 22 wk. Pups from both FR and DEX dams had similarly lower birth weights than CON (22% and 25%, P < 0.0001), but catch-up growth, which occurred during the suckling period, was much more rapid in FR than DEX offspring (6 vs. 25 days, 95% CI). Postweaning, there were no significant differences between groups in food intake, body weight, body fat, and plasma insulin, but baseline plasma glucose at 22 wk and 2-h glucose area-under-the-curve at 8 and 22 wk were greater only in FR vs. CON offspring (P < 0.05), thereby contrasting with the lack of significant differences between DEX and CON. These results suggest that prenatal food restriction is a more sensitive model than DEX exposure for studies aimed at investigating the link between low birth weight, early postnatal catch-up growth, and later development of glucose intolerance.
authors.affiliation: Nestlé Research Center, Vers-Chez-les-Blanc, P.O. Box 44, CH-1000 Lausanne 26, Switzerland. yasaman.shahkhalili@rdls.nestle.com
authors.forename: Yasaman
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shahkhalili
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moulin
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zbinden
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Aprikian
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Macé
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007328:Insulin; D003907:Dexamethasone