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Maternal low protein diet restricted to the preimplantation period induces a gender-specific change on hepatic gene expression in rat fetuses

Maternal low protein diet restricted to the preimplantation period induces a gender-specific change on hepatic gene expression in rat fetuses
Maternal low protein diet restricted to the preimplantation period induces a gender-specific change on hepatic gene expression in rat fetuses
It has been shown previously that maternal low protein diet (LPD) throughout rat gestation altered hepatic gene expression and enzyme activities in offspring. Here, we investigate the effect of maternal LPD (9% casein vs. 18% control) exclusively during the preimplantation period (switched diet group) or provided throughout gestation on hepatic gene expression in day 20 fetuses. Using quantitative competitive PCR, we found that switched diet induced a two-fold increase (P = 0.008) in hepatic gene expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK, a rate limiting enzyme for gluconeogenesis) in male fetuses and a 17% increase (P = 0.005) in 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11beta-HSD1, acts primarily as a reductase to produce active glucocorticoid) in female liver compared with control fetuses. Maternal LPD administered throughout gestation increased 11beta-HSD1 expression in male fetal liver by 27% (P = 0.042) compared with controls. However, maternal LPD fed for either period did not affect fetal hepatic insulin receptor (IR), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), glycogen synthase (GS) nor placental glucose transporter 1 (Glut1) and 3 (Glut3) transcript levels. The alteration in fetal hepatic gene expression could not be attributed specifically to known regulators including insulin or glucose concentrations in fetal blood nor alteration in cAMP in fetal liver, although a combination of these regulatory factors may be responsible. Fetal hepatic glycogen level was unaffected by maternal diet. The present findings show that the long term potential of the preimplantation embryo is sensitive to maternal LPD such that basal levels of hepatic gene expression in day 20 fetuses are altered in a gender-specific manner.
phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, 11-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, gender
1040-452X
52-60
Kwong, Wing Yee
7546a4cf-0bff-43fb-94e9-fe817b2df23c
Miller, Daniel J.
528f92f1-9ec9-45f3-968f-b7a1f2714d08
Wilkins, Adrian P.
71b5c44a-cbbd-4a42-bdff-dd7775970561
Dear, Mark S.
38695683-54f0-4de7-954c-b16dea8ff83a
Wright, J. Neville
e53ee4b9-10f5-4365-a9f2-5a7b0eacd86d
Osmond, Clive
2677bf85-494f-4a78-adf8-580e1b8acb81
Zhang, Junlong
68a8fa77-c5db-4b34-aa9a-fbad6860155f
Fleming, Tom P.
2abf761a-e5a1-4fa7-a2c8-12e32d5d4c03
Kwong, Wing Yee
7546a4cf-0bff-43fb-94e9-fe817b2df23c
Miller, Daniel J.
528f92f1-9ec9-45f3-968f-b7a1f2714d08
Wilkins, Adrian P.
71b5c44a-cbbd-4a42-bdff-dd7775970561
Dear, Mark S.
38695683-54f0-4de7-954c-b16dea8ff83a
Wright, J. Neville
e53ee4b9-10f5-4365-a9f2-5a7b0eacd86d
Osmond, Clive
2677bf85-494f-4a78-adf8-580e1b8acb81
Zhang, Junlong
68a8fa77-c5db-4b34-aa9a-fbad6860155f
Fleming, Tom P.
2abf761a-e5a1-4fa7-a2c8-12e32d5d4c03

Kwong, Wing Yee, Miller, Daniel J., Wilkins, Adrian P., Dear, Mark S., Wright, J. Neville, Osmond, Clive, Zhang, Junlong and Fleming, Tom P. (2007) Maternal low protein diet restricted to the preimplantation period induces a gender-specific change on hepatic gene expression in rat fetuses. Molecular Reproduction and Development, 74 (1), 52-60. (doi:10.1002/mrd.20606).

Record type: Article

Abstract

It has been shown previously that maternal low protein diet (LPD) throughout rat gestation altered hepatic gene expression and enzyme activities in offspring. Here, we investigate the effect of maternal LPD (9% casein vs. 18% control) exclusively during the preimplantation period (switched diet group) or provided throughout gestation on hepatic gene expression in day 20 fetuses. Using quantitative competitive PCR, we found that switched diet induced a two-fold increase (P = 0.008) in hepatic gene expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK, a rate limiting enzyme for gluconeogenesis) in male fetuses and a 17% increase (P = 0.005) in 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11beta-HSD1, acts primarily as a reductase to produce active glucocorticoid) in female liver compared with control fetuses. Maternal LPD administered throughout gestation increased 11beta-HSD1 expression in male fetal liver by 27% (P = 0.042) compared with controls. However, maternal LPD fed for either period did not affect fetal hepatic insulin receptor (IR), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), glycogen synthase (GS) nor placental glucose transporter 1 (Glut1) and 3 (Glut3) transcript levels. The alteration in fetal hepatic gene expression could not be attributed specifically to known regulators including insulin or glucose concentrations in fetal blood nor alteration in cAMP in fetal liver, although a combination of these regulatory factors may be responsible. Fetal hepatic glycogen level was unaffected by maternal diet. The present findings show that the long term potential of the preimplantation embryo is sensitive to maternal LPD such that basal levels of hepatic gene expression in day 20 fetuses are altered in a gender-specific manner.

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More information

Published date: January 2007
Keywords: phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, 11-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, gender

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 61311
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/61311
ISSN: 1040-452X
PURE UUID: 6c0ce344-1d8f-4a1e-9f85-c1a78e5c0d68
ORCID for Clive Osmond: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-9054-4655

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Date deposited: 30 Sep 2008
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:50

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Contributors

Author: Wing Yee Kwong
Author: Daniel J. Miller
Author: Adrian P. Wilkins
Author: Mark S. Dear
Author: J. Neville Wright
Author: Clive Osmond ORCID iD
Author: Junlong Zhang
Author: Tom P. Fleming

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