ARS | Publication request: Effects of pre- and postnatal diets on body compositions of diet-induced obesity prone Sprague-Dawley rats

Submitted to: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 14, 2011
Publication Date: March 29, 2012
Citation: Uthus, E.O., Claycombe, K.J., Johnson, W.T. 2012. Effects of pre- and postnatal diets on body compositions of diet-induced obesity prone Sprague-Dawley rats. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference. 26:648.4.

Technical Abstract: Increasing numbers of studies have shown that growth retardation due to malnutrition during the fetal growth period followed by postnatal catch-up growth results in obesity. To determine whether a prenatal low-protein diet followed by postnatal high-fat diet increase offspring’s propensity to obesity, we fed obese-prone Sprague-Dawley females a diet containing 10% fat and either 8% (LP) or 20% (NP) protein for 3 wk prior to breeding and through pregnancy and lactation. At weaning, male offspring were placed on a 20% protein diet containing either 10% (NF) or 45% (HF) fat, thus, giving 4 groups (LP-NF, NP-NF, LP-HF, NP-HF). Results indicated that birth weights of offspring born of LP or NP fed dams were not different. However, at weaning, body weights of offspring born of NP diet fed dams were 2-fold greater than that of LP fed dams. After 12 weeks of postnatal NF or HF diet, offspring of LP dams compared to that of NP dams had greater rates of body weight increase (fold-increase, 11.0 vs. 6.3). Similarly, the rate increases in adipose tissue (23.4 vs. 12.6) and lean body (12.9 vs. 7.7) mass were greater in the offspring of LP dams compared to offspring of NP dams. In both LP and NP groups, postnatal NF and HF diets had no effects on body weight, adipose tissue and lean mass. These data suggest that low protein intake during pregnancy and lactation predisposes offspring to greater rates for body weight, adipose tissue and lean mass increase.