Maternal dietary protein supplement confers long-term sex-specific beneficial consequences of obesity resistance and glucose tolerance to the offspring in Brandt's voles

Dec 16, 2014Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A, Molecular & integrative physiology

Mother's protein-rich diet gives male and female Brandt's vole offspring lasting benefits in obesity resistance and blood sugar control

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Abstract

Maternal high-protein diet (36% protein) resulted in increased body mass and reproductive organ mass in offspring.

No significant differences were found in litter size, litter mass, or pup mass before weaning.
Maternal protein supplement was associated with decreased fat deposition and improved resistance to obesity in male offspring.
Offspring from mothers on a high-protein diet exhibited better glucose tolerance, particularly in females.
Elevated serum leptin concentration at weaning may be linked to accelerated growth in offspring.
Lower digestibility in offspring from a high-protein maternal diet could contribute to their obesity resistance.

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Maternal under- or over-nutrition not only alters neonatal body mass but also increases the risk of metabolic disorders in adulthood. Little is known about how maternal dietary protein affects offspring fitness in wild rodents. The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that maternal dietary protein supplement has a long-term beneficial effect on offspring fitness in Brandt's vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii), a herbivorous rodent model. The vole dams were fed either a control (18% protein) or high-protein (36% protein) diet throughout pregnancy and lactation. After weaning, all offspring received a control diet till 14 weeks old. Energetic parameters, serum leptin concentration and glucose tolerance were measured. The adult offspring were fed high-fat diet for 8 weeks, and body weight and food intake were measured. No difference was observed in litter size, litter mass or pup mass before weaning. Maternal protein supplement increased body mass and the mass of reproductive organ but decreased digestibility and fat deposition and alleviated HFD-induced obesity especially in the males. Glucose tolerance was elevated in the offspring from maternal protein supplement, especially in the females. The accelerated growth may be associated with high serum leptin concentration at weaning, a state of leptin resistance, and the low digestibility may predispose obesity resistance especially in male offspring from maternal high-protein diet. These data demonstrate that maternal protein supplement confers the long-term sex-specific beneficial consequences of accelerated growth and improved obesity resistance and glucose tolerance of their offspring.

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Maternal dietary protein supplement confers long-term sex-specific beneficial consequences of obesity resistance and glucose tolerance to the offspring in Brandt's voles

Abstract

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