Isocaloric high-protein diet ameliorates systolic blood pressure increase and cardiac remodeling caused by maternal caloric restriction in adult mouse offspring

Endocr J. 2009;56(5):679-89. doi: 10.1507/endocrj.k08e-286. Epub 2009 May 20.

Abstract

Epidemiologic studies have shown that in utero malnutrition is a risk factor for adult cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recently, we reported a mouse animal model of 30% maternal caloric reduction, in which offspring showed a significant increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP) as well as in cardiac remodeling-associated morphological parameters such as cardiac enlargement and coronary perivascular fibrosis in adulthood. Using a similar animal model, we here demonstrated that an increased level of protein consumption during an undernourished pregnancy (high-protein diet; HPD) corrected for the development of CVD risk factors found in fetal undernourishment with less protein consumption (standard-protein diet; SPD). In contrast, maternal ad libitum feeding with HPD resulted in significantly elevated SBP and cardiac enlargement in offspring at 16 wks. Appropriate maternal protein ingestion might partly protect against the development of CVD risk factors in offspring.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Pressure / physiology
  • Caloric Restriction
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / etiology*
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / pathology
  • Corticosterone / blood
  • Dietary Proteins / administration & dosage*
  • Female
  • Hypertension / diet therapy*
  • Malnutrition / complications
  • Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
  • Mice
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / diet therapy*
  • Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
  • Ventricular Remodeling / physiology

Substances

  • Dietary Proteins
  • Corticosterone