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Intrauterine programming of bone. Part 2: alteration of skeletal structure

Intrauterine programming of bone. Part 2: alteration of skeletal structure
Intrauterine programming of bone. Part 2: alteration of skeletal structure
Osteoporosis is believed to be partly programmed in utero. Rat dams were given a low protein diet during pregnancy, and offspring were studied at different ages. Old aged rats showed site-specific strength differences. In utero nutrition has consequences in later life.

Introduction: Epidemiological studies suggest skeletal growth is programmed during intrauterine and early postnatal life. We hypothesize that age-related decrease in bone mass has, in part, a fetal origin and investigated this using a rat model of maternal protein insufficiency.

Methods: Dams received either 18% w/w (control) or w/w 9% (low protein) diet during pregnancy, and the offspring were studied at selected time points (4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 47, 75 weeks).

Results: Using micro-CT, we found that at 75 weeks of age female offspring from mothers fed a restricted protein diet during pregnancy had femoral heads with thinner, less dense trabeculae, femoral necks with closer packed trabeculae, vertebrae with thicker, denser trabeculae and midshaft tibiae with denser cortical bone. Mechanical testing showed the femoral heads and midshaft tibiae to be structurally weaker, whereas the femoral necks and vertebrae were structurally stronger.

Conclusions: Offspring from mothers fed a restricted protein diet during pregnancy displayed significant differences in bone structure and density at various sites. These differences result in altered bone characteristics indicative of significantly altered bone turnover. These results further support the need to understand the key role of the nutritional environment in early development on programming of skeletal development and consequences in later life.
growth, in-utero, bone, mass, origins, neck, later life, research, bone mass, development, disease, consequences, head, methods, developmental origins, pregnancy, time, health, environment, rat, maternal, female, aged, diet, mothers, protein, programming, fetal, nutrition, rats, osteoporosis
0937-941X
157-167
Lanham, S.A.
28fdbbef-e3b6-4fdf-bd0f-4968eeb614d6
Roberts, C.
b1dc377a-04e8-4757-9e1c-faaf8361ed7a
Perry, M.J.
e494b60e-14ce-4716-b657-462cf04c1888
Cooper, C.
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6
Oreffo, R.O.
ff9fff72-6855-4d0f-bfb2-311d0e8f3778
Lanham, S.A.
28fdbbef-e3b6-4fdf-bd0f-4968eeb614d6
Roberts, C.
b1dc377a-04e8-4757-9e1c-faaf8361ed7a
Perry, M.J.
e494b60e-14ce-4716-b657-462cf04c1888
Cooper, C.
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6
Oreffo, R.O.
ff9fff72-6855-4d0f-bfb2-311d0e8f3778

Lanham, S.A., Roberts, C., Perry, M.J., Cooper, C. and Oreffo, R.O. (2008) Intrauterine programming of bone. Part 2: alteration of skeletal structure. Osteoporosis International, 19 (2), 157-167. (doi:10.1007/s00198-007-0448-3).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Osteoporosis is believed to be partly programmed in utero. Rat dams were given a low protein diet during pregnancy, and offspring were studied at different ages. Old aged rats showed site-specific strength differences. In utero nutrition has consequences in later life.

Introduction: Epidemiological studies suggest skeletal growth is programmed during intrauterine and early postnatal life. We hypothesize that age-related decrease in bone mass has, in part, a fetal origin and investigated this using a rat model of maternal protein insufficiency.

Methods: Dams received either 18% w/w (control) or w/w 9% (low protein) diet during pregnancy, and the offspring were studied at selected time points (4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 47, 75 weeks).

Results: Using micro-CT, we found that at 75 weeks of age female offspring from mothers fed a restricted protein diet during pregnancy had femoral heads with thinner, less dense trabeculae, femoral necks with closer packed trabeculae, vertebrae with thicker, denser trabeculae and midshaft tibiae with denser cortical bone. Mechanical testing showed the femoral heads and midshaft tibiae to be structurally weaker, whereas the femoral necks and vertebrae were structurally stronger.

Conclusions: Offspring from mothers fed a restricted protein diet during pregnancy displayed significant differences in bone structure and density at various sites. These differences result in altered bone characteristics indicative of significantly altered bone turnover. These results further support the need to understand the key role of the nutritional environment in early development on programming of skeletal development and consequences in later life.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 2007
Published date: February 2008
Keywords: growth, in-utero, bone, mass, origins, neck, later life, research, bone mass, development, disease, consequences, head, methods, developmental origins, pregnancy, time, health, environment, rat, maternal, female, aged, diet, mothers, protein, programming, fetal, nutrition, rats, osteoporosis
Organisations: Human Development & Health

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 61318
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/61318
ISSN: 0937-941X
PURE UUID: e93e74bd-e034-493a-a620-45f21e2c1b46
ORCID for S.A. Lanham: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4516-264X
ORCID for C. Cooper: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3510-0709
ORCID for R.O. Oreffo: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-5995-6726

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Date deposited: 09 Sep 2008
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 02:51

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Contributors

Author: S.A. Lanham ORCID iD
Author: C. Roberts
Author: M.J. Perry
Author: C. Cooper ORCID iD
Author: R.O. Oreffo ORCID iD

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