High-protein nutrition during pregnancy and lactation programs blood pressure, food efficiency, and body weight of the offspring in a sex-dependent manner

Abstract

Maternal low-protein diet during pregnancy is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease of the offspring in later life. The impact of high-protein diet during pregnancy on the cardiovascular phenotype of the offspring, however, is still unknown. We examined the influence of a high-protein diet during pregnancy and lactation on the renal, hemodynamic, and metabolic phenotype of the F1 generation. Female Wistar rats were either fed a normal protein diet (20% protein: NP) or an isocaloric high-protein diet (40% protein: HP) throughout pregnancy and lactation. At weaning, the offspring were fed with standard diet, and they were allocated according to sex and maternal diet to four groups: normal-protein male (NPm, n = 25), normal-protein female (NPf, n = 19), high-protein male (HPm, n = 24), high-protein female (HPf, n = 29). During the experiment (22 wk), the animals were characterized by repeated measurement of body weight, food intake, blood pressure, glucose tolerance, energy expenditure, and kidney function. At the end of the study period histomorphological analyses of the kidneys and weight measurement of reproductive fat pads were conducted. There were no differences in birth weight between the study groups. No influence of maternal diet on energy expenditure, glucose tolerance, and plasma lipid levels was detected. Blood pressure and glomerulosclerosis were elevated in male offspring only, whereas female offspring were characterized by an increased food efficiency, higher body weight, and increased fat pads. Our study demonstrates that a high-protein diet during pregnancy and lactation in rats programs blood pressure, food efficiency, and body weight of the offspring in a sex-dependent manner.

High-protein diet during gestation and lactation affects mammary gland mRNA abundance, milk composition and pre-weaning litter growth in mice

“…Similar results were obtained in rats fed HP diets with reduced carbohydrate content (Jean et al, 2001; -E-mail: metges@fbn-dummerstorf.de Lacroix et al, 2004). Reports on the impact of an increased dietary protein intake during gestation and lactation on maternal and foetal/offspring health and development are scarce and the results obtained are inconsistent (Daenzer et al, 2002;Zhang et al, 2005;Thone-Reineke et al, 2006). However, there seems to be a similarity with the effects of a low-protein diet that also causes decreased birth weight and altered body mass (BM) development of the offspring during lactation (Fagundes et al, 2007;Desai et al, 1996and 1997.…”

Epigenetic mechanisms elicited by nutrition in early life

“…It has been shown that the induction of an altered phenotype by a maternal proteinrestricted diet during pregnancy involves changes in DNA methylation and histone modifications in specific genes, including the glucocorticoid receptor (33 % lower; P, 0·001) and PPARa (26 % lower; P, 0·05) in the liver of juvenile and adult offspring (33,34) , as well as hepatocyte nuclear factor 4a (Hnf4a) in pancreatic islets (35) . However, a high protein intake in rats during pregnancy and lactation also results in male offspring with higher blood pressure and female offspring with higher body mass and increased fat pad mass; it is possible to speculate that these effects are also mediated by epigenetic mechanisms (36) . Maurer & Reimer (37) showed that a maternal highprotein diet, but not high-prebiotic fibre diet, during pregnancy and lactation could negatively influence the expression of genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism in the offspring rats.…”

Sex differences in the associations between birthweight and lipid levels in middle-age: Findings from the 1958 British birth cohort

“…2;6 Some animal studies provide evidence in support of the suggestion that 'programming' effects may be sex-specific. [7][8][9][10] A recent meta-analysis of findings from 30 studies of the association between birthweight and total cholesterol 3 reported a sex difference, with a stronger inverse association among males than females. However, the possibility was recognised 3 that the meta-analysis was driven by results from the only two studies which found this sex difference to be significant, 11;12 especially as one study 11 was much larger than any other (n=25,843).…”