Permanent reduction in heart and kidney organ growth in offspring of undernourished rat dams.

OBJECTIVE: Maternal undernutrition affects fetal growth and development. We investigated whether maternal food restriction during pregnancy and/or lactation permanently alters organ growth among adult offspring. STUDY DESIGN: From 10 days to term gestation and through 21 days lactation, control pregnant rats received ad libitum food, whereas study rats were 50% food restricted. Cross-fostering techniques were used to examine the effects of food restriction during pregnancy and/or lactation periods. Organs were dissected and weighed (percentage of body weight) at ages 3 weeks and 9 months. RESULTS: Food restriction during pregnancy produced growth-restricted newborns that exhibited catch-up growth that resulted in markedly heavier adult offspring, although with relatively decreased weights of heart, kidney, lung, and brain as compared with controls. Conversely, food restriction during pregnancy/lactation or lactation alone resulted in adult offspring with similar body weights as controls, but with relatively decreased growth of heart and kidney. Males exhibited relatively smaller livers, whereas the females showed relatively smaller adrenal glands. CONCLUSION: Sex-dependent, selective, and permanent changes in relative growth of heart and kidney may increase risk of adult diseases.