title: Early postnatal low-protein nutrition, metabolic programming and the autonomic nervous system in adult life.
abstract: Protein restriction during lactation has been used as a rat model of metabolic programming to study the impact of perinatal malnutrition on adult metabolism. In contrast to protein restriction during fetal life, protein restriction during lactation did not appear to cause either obesity or the hallmarks of metabolic syndrome, such as hyperinsulinemia, when individuals reached adulthood. However, protein restriction provokes body underweight and hypoinsulinemia. This review is focused on the regulation of insulin secretion and the influence of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in adult rats that were protein-malnourished during lactation. The data available on the topic suggest that the perinatal phase of lactation, when insulted by protein deficit, imprints the adult metabolism and thereby alters the glycemic control. Although hypoinsulinemia programs adult rats to maintain normoglycemia, pancreatic β-cells are less sensitive to secretion stimuli, such as glucose and cholinergic agents. These pancreatic dysfunctions may be attributed to an imbalance of ANS activity recorded in adult rats that experienced maternal protein restriction.
authors.affiliation: Paulo Cezar de Freitas Mathias; Department of Cell Biology and Genetics Laboratory of Secretion Cell Biology, State University of Maringá, Block H67, room 19, State University of Maringá/UEM - Colombo Avenue 5970, 87020-900, Maringá, PR, Brazil. pmathias@uem.br.
authors.forename: Júlio Cezar
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grassiolli
authors.forename: Clarice
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gravena
authors.forename: Paulo Cezar Freitas
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: de Mathias