Biomaterial Database

Influence of prenatal and continuous postnatal protein-deficient diets on the development of rats. 1979

T A Wittstruck, and B E Woodward, and W B Forbes, and E Caspi

The influence of prenatal and continuous postnatal protein-restricted diet on the development of rats was investigated. Virgin female rats were maintained for 35 days on isocaloric diets containing 8 or 25% casein, and then mated. The animals were supplied their respective diets during gestation and nursing. It was observed that the offspring of mothers kept on the 8% casein diet had 50% less body weight, and 10-15% less brain weight than the corresponding controls. The peak of rapid brain growth for both groups of animals occurred at age 6 days. The rate of de novo biosynthesis of sterols, following the injection of (2-14C)-mevalonic acid into the midline thalamic area and the cerebellum, was also investigated. A significant shift of the age of peaking of 14C-incorporation into sterols in the cerebellum was noted. Our results indicate that although unlimited amounts of food were supplied to the mothers on the 8% casein diet, this could not offset the detrimental effect of the protein deficiency on the offspring.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008431	Maternal-Fetal Exchange	Exchange of substances between the maternal blood and the fetal blood at the PLACENTA via PLACENTAL CIRCULATION. The placental barrier excludes microbial or viral transmission.	Transplacental Exposure,Exchange, Maternal-Fetal,Exposure, Transplacental,Maternal Fetal Exchange
D008798	Mevalonic Acid	A dihydroxy monocarboxylic acid and precursor in the biosynthetic pathway known as the mevalonate pathway, which produces terpenes and steroids that are vital for diverse cellular functions.	Mevalonate,Acid, Mevalonic
D009929	Organ Size	The measurement of an organ in volume, mass, or heaviness.	Organ Volume,Organ Weight,Size, Organ,Weight, Organ
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011488	Protein Deficiency	A nutritional condition produced by a deficiency of proteins in the diet, characterized by adaptive enzyme changes in the liver, increase in amino acid synthetases, and diminution of urea formation, thus conserving nitrogen and reducing its loss in the urine. Growth, immune response, repair, and production of enzymes and hormones are all impaired in severe protein deficiency. Protein deficiency may also arise in the face of adequate protein intake if the protein is of poor quality (i.e., the content of one or more amino acids is inadequate and thus becomes the limiting factor in protein utilization). (From Merck Manual, 16th ed; Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 12th ed, p406)	Deficiency, Protein,Deficiencies, Protein,Protein Deficiencies
D001835	Body Weight	The mass or quantity of heaviness of an individual. It is expressed by units of pounds or kilograms.	Body Weights,Weight, Body,Weights, Body
D001921	Brain	The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM.	Encephalon
D002531	Cerebellum	The part of brain that lies behind the BRAIN STEM in the posterior base of skull (CRANIAL FOSSA, POSTERIOR). It is also known as the "little brain" with convolutions similar to those of CEREBRAL CORTEX, inner white matter, and deep cerebellar nuclei. Its function is to coordinate voluntary movements, maintain balance, and learn motor skills.	Cerebella,Corpus Cerebelli,Parencephalon,Cerebellums,Parencephalons
D004044	Dietary Proteins	Proteins obtained from foods. They are the main source of the ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS.	Proteins, Dietary,Dietary Protein,Protein, Dietary