QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bieswal, F. Articles by Remacle, C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bieswal, F. Articles by Remacle, C.

---

Nutrient Metabolism

Prenatal Protein Restriction Does Not Affect the Proliferation and Differentiation of Rat Preadipocytes¹

Laboratory of Cell Biology, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium and ^* The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB21 9SB, Scotland

²To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: remacle{at}bani.ucl.ac.be.

Poor development in utero may favor the development of obesity in adulthood. Animal studies showed that embryo manipulation in vitro or nutritional insults during the embryonic and fetal stages of development may lead to obesity in adult life. We studied the in vitro proliferation and differentiation of adipocytes to investigate whether early protein restriction may program cell growth and development. In a series of experiments, 2 different low-protein diet protocols were compared. In both cases, pregnant rats were fed a diet with a high (18–20%) or low (8–9%) protein content during gestation and/or lactation. Preadipocytes were isolated from the fetuses, neonates, and weanling offspring. Moderate protein restriction, imposed during either gestation and/or lactation, did not affect the capacity of preadipose cells to divide or store fat. Because previous studies showed that early protein restriction alters the metabolism of sulfur amino acids, we also investigated the effects of methionine, taurine, and homocysteine on proliferation and differentiation of preadipocytes. The supplementation of the diet with methionine or the addition of homocysteine and taurine to the culture media did not influence the development of preadipocytes. We obtained no evidence for the direct reprogramming of the precursor or stem cells and suggest that the subsequent alteration in fat accretion may therefore reflect a change in the neuroendocrine environment.

KEY WORDS: • fetal programming • low-protein diet • preadipocytes • obesity

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. A Maloney and W. D Rees Gene-nutrient interactions during fetal development Reproduction, October 1, 2005; 130(4): 401 - 410. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]