The effect of maternal malnutrition during pregnancy in the rat on the offspring's weight, glucose uptake, glucose transporter protein levels and behaviors

Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) is associated with multiple molecular and physiological changes in the offspring. In the current study, offspring of dams acutely fasted on days 17-19 were compared to the offspring of non-food deprived dams with respect to postnatal growth, glucose uptake, brain glucose transporter Glut 1 protein levels and age-specific behaviors. Further, in a chronic study, control mothers were given ad lib. access to a nutritionally balanced liquid diet from day 0 until day 18 or day 20 of pregnancy. These offspring were compared to the offspring of mothers who consumed 90% of the ad lib mothers' calories. Overall, the malnourished offspring had: 1) IUGR, 2) small changes in brain glucose uptake and in Glut 1 transport protein content and, 3) minor alterations in their behavior. In both models, pups whose dams were malnourished weighed less than control offspring at birth and the growth retardation was sustained through six months of age. In the acute model, behavioral comparisons revealed that rats from acutely malnourished litters were impaired only on incline descent, requiring more time to descend than did the non-malnourished control pups. Brain glucose uptake showed only modest differences. Western blotting of glucose transporter proteins indicated that there was little correlation between brain glucose uptake and Glut 1 protein levels in pups from either malnourished or control litters. At 60 days, malnourished offspring were glucose intolerant relative to offspring from control litters.