Maternal undernutrition alters fat cell size distribution, but not lipogenic gene expression, in the visceral fat of the late gestation guinea pig fetus.
This study investigated the development of adipose tissue in the guinea pig and the impact of maternal undernutrition on the structural and functional characteristics of perirenal adipose tissue in the dam and fetus. Date-mated guinea pigs were provided with either ad libitum feed (Control, C) or 85% of food intake per body weight of the Controls (Undernutrition, UN). Maternal (C, n = 6; UN, n = 7) perirenal adipose tissue (PAT) was collected at 60 d gestation and fetal PAT was collected at 50 d (C, n = 4) and 60 d (C, n = 8 and UN, n = 7) gestation (term, 69 d). The expression of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD-1), fatty acid synthase (FAS), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), leptin and glycerol 3 phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH) mRNA and glucose transporters 1 and 4 (GLUT1 and GLUT4) was determined by Real Time PCR. There was no effect of maternal UN on total or relative PAT mass in the pregnant dam. There was an increase in G3PDH, but not LPL, leptin, FAS or GLUT4 mRNA expression, in UN dams compared to Controls (P < 0.05). In the fetal guinea pig there was no effect of maternal UN on total or relative PAT mass, however, the UN fetuses had a higher percentage of larger lipid locules in their PAT compared to Controls (P < 0.05). The expression of FAS, LPL, SCD-1, leptin, G3PDH and GLUT4 mRNA in PAT was not different between the Control and UN fetuses. These results support previous studies which have demonstrated that maternal undernutrition is associated with an increased accumulation of visceral adipose tissue in utero, and extend them by showing that maternal undernutrition results in early changes in the size distribution of lipid locules in visceral fat depots that precede changes in lipogenic gene expression.
Nguyen
L T
LT
Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group, Sansom Institute for Health Research, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.
Muhlhausler
B S
BS
Botting
K J
KJ
Morrison
J L
JL
D017667:Adipocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005993:Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D020738:Leptin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D011897:Random Allocation; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013230:Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4; D020738:Leptin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005993:Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase; D013230:Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase