Unlimited access to low-energy diet causes acute malnutrition in dams and alters biometric and biochemical parameters in offspring.
Here we analyze the outcomes of unlimited access to a low-energy (LE) diet in dams and their offspring. At 3 weeks' gestation, pregnant Wistar rats were divided into two groups: (1) the control group received a normoenergetic diet; and (2) the experimental group received the LE diet. In dams, lactation outcomes, food intake, body weight, plasma IGF-1, prealbumin, transferrin and retinol-binding protein levels were evaluated; in offspring, biometric and biochemical parameters and food intake were evaluated. No differences were observed during pregnancy. However, after lactation, dams that received the LE diet demonstrated significant reductions in body weight (P<0.05), plasma IGF-1 (P=0.01), prealbumin and visceral fat (P<0.001). Pups born to dams that received the LE diet demonstrated reduced body length and weight at weaning (P<0.001) and were lighter than the control animals at the end of the experimental period. Pups also demonstrated reduced plasma, low-density lipoprotein (P=0.04), triglycerides (P=0.002) and glucose levels (P<0.05), and differences were noted in visceral fat. These results indicate that feeding dams with LE diet during the reproductive period induces acute malnutrition and impairs the growth and development of offspring, as well as certain metabolic parameters.
1 Department of Nutrition, Laboratory of Experimental Nutrition and Dietetic, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil.
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do Nascimento
1 Department of Nutrition, Laboratory of Experimental Nutrition and Dietetic, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil.
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de Santana Muniz
1 Department of Nutrition, Laboratory of Experimental Nutrition and Dietetic, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil.
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das Graças de Santana Muniz
1 Department of Nutrition, Laboratory of Experimental Nutrition and Dietetic, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil.
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de Souza Alexandre
1 Department of Nutrition, Laboratory of Experimental Nutrition and Dietetic, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil.
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da Rocha
2 Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, CAV -Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil.
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Leandro
3 Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil.
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de Castro
4 INRA, UMR 1280, Physiologie des Adaptations, Nutritionnelles, Université de Nantes, Nantes Atlantique Université, Nantes, France.
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Bolaños-Jimenez
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D004435:Eating; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000209:etiology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009753:Nutritive Value; D011247:Pregnancy; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D017208:Rats, Wistar