Effect of Fetal Undernutrition and Postnatal Overfeeding on Rat Adipose Tissue and Organ Growth at Early Stages of Postnatal Development

Abstract

Intrauterine and perinatal life are critical periods for programming of cardiometabolic diseases. However, their relative role remains controversial. We aimed to assess, at weaning, sexdependent alterations induced by fetal or postnatal nutritional interventions on key organs for metabolic and cardiovascular control. Fetal undernutrition was induced by dam food restriction (50 % from mid-gestation to delivery) returning to ad libitum throughout lactation (Maternal Undernutrition, MUN, 12 pups/litter). Postnatal overfeeding (POF) was induced by litter size reduction from normally fed dams (4 pups/litter). Compared to control, female and male MUN offspring exhibited: 1) low birth weight and accelerated growth, reaching similar weight and tibial length by weaning, 2) increased glycemia, liver and white fat weights; 3) increased ventricular weight and tendency to reduced kidney weight (males only). Female and male POF offspring showed: 1) accelerated growth; 2) increased glycemia, liver and white fat weights; 3) unchanged heart and kidney weights. In conclusion, postnatal accelerated growth, with or without fetal undernutrition, induces early alterations relevant for metabolic disease programming, while fetal undernutrition is required for heart abnormalities. The progression of cardiac alterations and their role on hypertension development needs to be evaluated.The similarities between sexes in pre-pubertal rats suggest a role of sex-hormones in female protection against programming.

Role of fetal nutrient restriction and postnatal catch‐up growth on structural and mechanical alterations of rat aorta

“…This is a compensatory response to nutrient deficiency in utero which we have previously observed in other organs such as adipose tissue (Muñoz‐Valverde et al . ) and the heart (Rodríguez‐Rodríguez et al . ).…”

Short-term moderate diet restriction in adulthood can reverse oxidative, cardiovascular and metabolic alterations induced by postnatal overfeeding in mice

“…This increase in body weight was explained by an increase in body fat mass, at the expense of lean mass 10 . An increase in visceral white adipose tissue is observed at weaning and later in SL rats 8 28 and mice 29 and is accompanied by an increase in adipocyte surface 6 13 30 . However, subcutaneous fat mass is also increased in young but not adult SL mice 31 , indicating that in adulthood, higher body weight and fat mass are mainly due to increased visceral fat mass.…”

Neonatal Nutrition Predicts Energy Balance in Young Adults Born Preterm at Very Low Birth Weight

“…Epidemiological data mostly on subjects who were born small for gestational age (SGA) have shown that metabolic abnormalities in adulthood are associated with catch up growth during early life, which also preterm born subjects often experience [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Animal studies [ 17 , 18 ] as well as epidemiological and clinical studies have suggested that early nutritional intake, human examples of which include shorter duration of breastfeeding and higher protein content in infant formula, is associated with cardiometabolic risk factors in later life [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Further, early life environment, including maternal diet during pregnancy [ 22 ] and restricted fetal growth [ 23 , 24 ], have been associated with specific food preferences in adult age.…”