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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Healthy Body Weight Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #309341
Title: Maternal low protein diet causes body weight loss in male, neonate Sprague-Dawley rats involving UCP-1 mediated thermogenesis

Author
item Larson, Kate
item Dekrey, Emilie
item Roemmich, James
item GHRIBI, OTHMAN - Medical University Of North Dakota
item RHEN, TURK - University Of North Dakota

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/22/2014
Publication Date: 11/2/2014
Citation: Claycombe, K.J., Dekrey, E.E., Roemmich, J.N., Ghribi, O., Rhen, T. 2014. Maternal low protein diet causes body weight loss in male, neonate Sprague-Dawley rats involving UCP-1 mediated thermogenesis. Abstract presentation at: The Obesity Society Annual Meeting at ObesityWeekSM 2014; November 2-7, 2014; Boston, MA. www.obesityweek.com.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays an important role in regulating body weight (BW) by modifying thermogenesis. Maternal low protein (LP) diets reduce offspring birth weight. Increased BAT thermogenesis in utero may be one mechanism for the lower BW. However, whether maternal LP nutrition alters BAT thermogenesis and BW of offspring in-utero is not yet known. We fed obese-prone Sprague-Dawley dams 8% low protein (LP) or 20% normal protein (NP) diets for 3 weeks prior to breeding and through pregnancy. BW and gene expression of interscapular BAT (iBAT) thermogenic markers were measured in male fetal (gestation day 18) and neonatal (day 0 or 1) offspring. BW of neonatal LP males was lower than NP males but no difference was observed in females. Gene expression of thermogenic factors UCP-1 and UCP-3 and transcription factors PRDM16 and PPARa in iBAT were 2- to 6-fold greater in LP than NP male neonatal offspring. FNDC5, a precursor of irisin and activator of thermogenesis, was expressed 2-fold greater in neonatal LP iBAT than NP males. However, fetal iBAT UCP-1, PRDM16, PPARa and irisin mRNA did not differ between LP and NP groups. Maternal LP diet had no effects on placental irisin and UCP-2 expression. These results suggest that prenatal protein restriction increases the risk for low BW through mechanisms affecting full-term offspring iBAT thermogenesis but not greatly altering fetal iBAT or placental thermogenesis.