Maternal undernutrition induces premature reproductive senescence in adult female rat offspring.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine the effects of maternal undernutrition (MUN) on the reproductive axis of aging offspring.

Design

Animal (rat) study.

Setting

Research laboratory.

Animal(s)

Female Sprague-Dawley rats.

Intervention(s)

Food restriction during the second half of pregnancy in rats.

Main outcome measure(s)

Circulating gonadotropins, antimüllerian hormone (AMH), ovarian morphology, estrous cyclicity, and gene expression studies in the hypothalamus and ovary in 1-day-old (P1) and aging adult offspring.

Result(s)

Offspring of MUN dams had low birth weight (LBW) and by adult age developed obesity. In addition, 80% of adult LBW offspring had disruption of estrous cycle by 8 months of age, with the majority of animals in persistent estrous. Ovar

SUBMITTER: Khorram O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4282592 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature