Biomaterial Database

Effects of fasting during pregnancy on maternal and fetal weight and body composition in well-nourished and undernourished rats. 1981

S A Lederman, and P Rosso

The effect of a 2-day fast on fetal and maternal weight and composition was determined in ad libitum-fed and food-restricted pregnant and non-pregnant rats. Fasting between days 17 and 19 of gestation resulted in a greater loss of net maternal body weight in ad libitum-fed pregnant than in nonpregnant rats, and also a greater loss of body fat. In contrast, food-restricted pregnant rats, also fasted from day 17 to day 19 of gestation, maintained their net body weight and body fat during the fast as did nonpregnant rats fasted for the same length of time. Fetal weight was not significantly reduced by fasting in the ad libitum-fed rats but was reduced by 25% in the previously food-restricted rats. The results demonstrate that prior maternal nutritional status strongly influences the effects of fasting on the fetus and that maternal nutrient stores are not mobilized for fetal utilization even when fetal growth is markedly impaired.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
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
D011270	Pregnancy, Animal	The process of bearing developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero in non-human mammals, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Animal Pregnancies,Animal Pregnancy,Pregnancies, Animal
D011297	Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects	The consequences of exposing the FETUS in utero to certain factors, such as NUTRITION PHYSIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA; PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS; DRUGS; RADIATION; and other physical or chemical factors. These consequences are observed later in the offspring after BIRTH.	Delayed Effects, Prenatal Exposure,Late Effects, Prenatal Exposure
D011919	Rats, Inbred Strains	Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. This also includes animals with a long history of closed colony breeding.	August Rats,Inbred Rat Strains,Inbred Strain of Rat,Inbred Strain of Rats,Inbred Strains of Rats,Rat, Inbred Strain,August Rat,Inbred Rat Strain,Inbred Strain Rat,Inbred Strain Rats,Inbred Strains Rat,Inbred Strains Rats,Rat Inbred Strain,Rat Inbred Strains,Rat Strain, Inbred,Rat Strains, Inbred,Rat, August,Rat, Inbred Strains,Rats Inbred Strain,Rats Inbred Strains,Rats, August,Rats, Inbred Strain,Strain Rat, Inbred,Strain Rats, Inbred,Strain, Inbred Rat,Strains, Inbred Rat
D001823	Body Composition	The relative amounts of various components in the body, such as percentage of body fat.	Body Compositions,Composition, Body,Compositions, Body
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
D005215	Fasting	Abstaining from FOOD.	Hunger Strike,Hunger Strikes,Strike, Hunger,Strikes, Hunger
D005260	Female		Females
D005333	Fetus	The unborn young of a viviparous mammal, in the postembryonic period, after the major structures have been outlined. In humans, the unborn young from the end of the eighth week after CONCEPTION until BIRTH, as distinguished from the earlier EMBRYO, MAMMALIAN.	Fetal Structures,Fetal Tissue,Fetuses,Mummified Fetus,Retained Fetus,Fetal Structure,Fetal Tissues,Fetus, Mummified,Fetus, Retained,Structure, Fetal,Structures, Fetal,Tissue, Fetal,Tissues, Fetal