title: Effects of maternal undernutrition during lactation on estrogen and androgen receptor expressions in rat ovary at puberty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of maternal protein and energy-restricted diets during lactation in folliculogenesis and its relations to androgen and estrogen receptors in the offspring at puberty.
  
  
  METHODS
  At parturition, dams were randomly assigned to a control (C) group, with free access to a standard laboratory diet containing 23% protein; a protein-energy-restricted (PER) group, with free access to an iso-energy and protein-restricted diet containing 8% protein; and an energy-restricted (ER) group, receiving standard laboratory diet in restricted quantities. After weaning, female pups had free access to standard laboratory diet.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of preantral (C 13.72 ± 2.87, PER 26.36 ± 3.03, ER 26.88 ± 2.31, P < 0.05) and small antral (C 9.32 ± 1.32, PER 17.64 ± 2.33, ER 17.04 ± 2.22, P < 0.05) follicles was significantly increased by maternal malnutrition. The number of primordial follicles (C 10.57 ± 1.61, PER 4.30 ± 0.62, ER 6.28 ± 1.30, P < 0.05), Graafian follicles (C 1.04 ± 0.09, PER 0.52 ± 0.10, ER 0.36 ± 0.11, P < 0.01), and corpus luteum (C 4.84 ± 0.62, PER 2.80 ± 0.50, ER 3.24 ± 0.27, P < 0.05) was significantly reduced. Maternal protein- and energy-restricted diets led to a significant decrease in the androgen (C 9815 ± 1015, PER 6071 ± 838.7, ER 5811 ± 699.3, P < 0.05) and estrogen (C 0.79 ± 0.244, PER 0.12 ± 0.035, ER 0.20 ± 0.036, P < 0.05) α-receptors. In growing follicles, androgen receptor was immuno-expressed in granulosa and theca cells. Estrogen receptor-α was mainly expressed in stroma cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that maternal protein- and energy-restricted diets during lactation can disturb the follicular development of the offspring, probably by reducing the number of androgen and estrogen receptors in the ovary.
authors.affiliation: Urogenital Research Unit, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tatiane
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: da Silva Faria
authors.forename: Flávia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Bittencourt Brasil
authors.forename: Francisco J B
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Sampaio
authors.forename: Cristiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: da Fonte Ramos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000378:metabolism; D018753:Diet, Protein-Restricted; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000378:metabolism*; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000378:metabolism*; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology; D013799:Theca Cells / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D011944:Receptors, Androgen