Mismatched pre- and postnatal nutrition leads to cardiovascular dysfunction and altered renal function in adulthood

Abstract

The early life environment has long-term implications for the risk of developing cardiovascular (CV) disease in adulthood. Fetal responses to changes in maternal nutrition may be of immediate benefit to the fetus, but the long-term effects of these adaptations may prove detrimental if nutrition in postnatal life does not match that predicted by the fetus on the basis of its prenatal environment. We tested this predictive adaptive response hypothesis with respect to CV function in sheep. We observed that a mismatch between pre-and postnatal nutrient environments induced an altered CV function in adult male sheep that was not seen when environments were similar. Sheep that received postnatal undernutrition alone had altered growth, CV function, and basal hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in adulthood. Prenatal undernutrition induced greater weight gain by weaning compared with the prenatal control diet, which may provide a reserve in the face of a predicted poor diet in later life. In an adequate postnatal nutrient environment (i.e., relatively mismatched), these offspring exhibited cardiac hypertrophy and altered CV function in adulthood. These data support the concept that adult CV function can be determined by developmental responses to intrauterine nutrition made in expectation of the postnatal nutritional environment, and that if these predictions are not met, the adult may be maladapted and at greater risk of CV disease. Our findings have substantial implications for devising strategies to reduce the impact of a mismatch in nutrition levels in humans undergoing rapid socio-economic transitions in both developing and developed societies.fetal development ͉ postnatal development ͉ predictive adaptive response

Peri-Conceptional undernutrition in twin bearing ewes: Effect on early fetal growth and birth weight

“…This could explain the higher birth weights detected in the lambs born from RT ewes. On the other hand, birth weight results in TR and RR ewes are in agreement with previous studies indicating no eect of maternal nutritional restriction before and after (Jaquiery et al 2012, Kleemann et al 2015 or only after conception (Cleal et al 2007) on the weights of newborn.…”

“…There is sucient evidence of the negative impact of nutritional restriction on the body status of ewes during the pre-mating period (MacLaughlin et al 2005, Grazul-Bilska et al 2013) and rst third of gestation (Cleal et al 2007); situation that is explained by the mobilization of body reserves, as a strategy to compensate for dietary nutritional decits (NRC 2007, Robertson et al 2015. There are also reports indicating that ewes fed below the nutritional requirements for maintenance and production may quickly recover their normal body status when they are fed with 100 % of nutritional requirements or ad libitum with a balanced diet (Belkacemi et al 2010).…”

“…4(12):419-429,2017 velopment of the ospring in their pre-and postnatal life (Lassoued et al 2004, Corner-Thomas et al 2014. Maternal nutritional restriction around peri-conception has been related to alterations in the fetal growth during the last third of pregnancy (Bloomeld et al 2004), as well as post-natal problems of diseases, slow growth and low fertility in young and adult sheep (Cleal et al, 2007). Maternal peri-conceptional malnutrition has also been reported to alter fetal growth trajectory, but not birth weight (Bloomeld et al 2013).…”

Nutritional effects on oocyte and embryo development in mammals: implications for reproductive efficiency and environmental sustainability

“…In rodents, feeding a low protein diet exclusively during the pre-implantation stage of development has been shown to increase the expression of 11B-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (Hsd11b1) and phosphoenolpyruvate (Pepck, Pck1) genes involved in activating glucocorticoid in the foetal liver and gluconoegenesis, respectively, and induce relative hypertension in adult offspring. In sheep, maternal undernutrition from days 0 to 30 of pregnancy alters cardiovascular function of lambs at 1 year of age (Gardner et al 2004), while in the adult, an increased interventricular septal wall thickness and increased mean left ventricular wall thickness were observed (Cleal et al 2007). Maternal dietary deficiency in B vitamins and methionine of embryo donor ewes prior to embryo transfer on day 6 induced heavier, fatter and hypertensive offspring; these effects were most pronounced in males.…”

Effect of match or mismatch of maternal–offspring nutritional environment on the development of offspring in broiler chickens

“…Subsequent food abundance in the offspring's environment results in a compensatory growth trajectory (Fagerberg et al, 2004), and in increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension and renal dysfunction (e.g. Barker, 1998;Phillips, 2006;Cleal et al, 2007).…”