title: Limited and excess protein intake of pregnant gilts differently affects body composition and cellularity of skeletal muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue of newborn and weanling piglets.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated whether dietary protein intake less (50%) or greater (250%) than requirements throughout gestation differently affects offspring body composition and cellular properties of skeletal muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Primiparous gilts were fed iso-energetic diets containing adequate (22 AP), high (21 HP), or low (19 LP) protein contents. Newborn (n = 166) and weanling piglets cross-fostered to sows fed a standard diet (day 28; n = 83) were examined by morphological, biochemical, histological, and molecular analyses of the body, SCAT, and semitendinosus, longissimus, biceps femoris muscles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lowered birth weight (BW) in response to the HP and LP diets (p < 0.01) resulted from decreases in all body constituents in LP, and mainly from reduced body fat in HP piglets (p < 0.05). In the light BW class within litters, HP piglets exhibited a greater percentage of muscle tissue (p < 0.05) than LP piglets. Less SCAT mass in HP and LP piglets resulted from reduced (p < 0.05) number, but not the size of adipocytes. The LP diet adversely affected myogenesis and muscular differentiation derived from less (p < 0.01) primary and secondary myofibers, lower creatine kinase activity (p < 0.05), less IGF2 mRNA (p < 0.10), and greater expression of the embryonic myosin heavy chain isoform (p < 0.01). Catch-up growth of LP but not HP pigs until day 28 increased body fat (p = 0.01). Despite compensated muscle growth in LP piglets, the deficit in myofiber number remained.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poor intrauterine environment by limited and excess protein supply retards fetal growth, but only limited protein supply impairs myogenesis, persistently restricts muscle growth potential, and favors obesity at infancy.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit Muscle Biology and Growth, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, Dummerstorf, Germany. rehfeldt@fbn-dummerstorf.de
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rehfeldt
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lefaucheur
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Block
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stabenow
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pfuhl
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Otten
authors.forename: Cornelia C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Metges
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kalbe
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000821:Animal Feed; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D024510:Muscle Development; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000187:drug effects*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins