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Marginal Protein Deficiency in Pregnant Rats. I. Changes in Maternal Body Composition

Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139

Pregnant and non-pregnant rats were fed diets containing either 25% casein (adequate) or 7.5% casein (low protein). The diets were fed in different combinations over two periods during pregnancy, namely days 4–12 and days 13–21. During these two periods, rats were given sequences of either adequate-adequate, adequate-low, low-adequate or low-low protein diets. At the end of the first period (day 12), leg muscles of both the pregnant and non-pregnant rats on the low-protein diet showed a loss of muscle protein. In contrast, the normal enlargement of the liver during pregnancy was not inhibited in animals fed the diet low in protein. Based on measurements made on day 21 of pregnancy, the major changes in body composition occurred as a result of the diet fed during the second half of pregnancy. Pregnant rats from all dietary groups showed a loss of muscle mass and protein compared with the non-pregnant rats on the same diet but pregnant rats receiving the low-protein diet during the last period of both periods underwent a much more extensive loss of muscle mass than did controls. At day 21 of pregnancy, liver enlargement and liver protein and RNA content were inhibited by feeding the diet low in protein even for only days 13–21 of pregnancy. In contrast, liver DNA content increased during pregnancy irrespective of diet. None of the four feeding sequences affected the weights of the fetuses or placentas, indicating that the fetus is protected against a degree of malnutrition sufficient to impair maternal tissue function.

KEY WORDS: • protein deficiency • pregnancy • maternal body composition • liver • muscle • fetal outcome

¹ And Department of Child Psychiatry. Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118.

² Dr. Galler was supported by the Medical Foundation, Boston, MA, and Biomedical Research Support Grants NIH RR05380-18 and NIH RR05487-15.

Manuscript received 5 November 1979.