Early renal structure alteration in rat offspring from dams fed low protein diet.

To investigate the early renal alterations due to severe maternal protein restriction (MPR) Wistar dams received 23% (normal protein, NP) or 5% (low protein, LP) chow during gestation and lactation periods. In NP offspring at birth, the cortex-to-medulla (C/M) ratio was 35% greater in female than in male offspring and the mature/immature glomeruli ratio was lower in both sexes of LP offspring than in the matched NP ones (by 20%). At birth and at weaning the kidney of the LP offspring showed fewer glomeruli (40% less) than the age-matched NP offspring. The NP female offspring had almost 20% fewer glomeruli than the matched male offspring. At weaning, the number of glomeruli was positively correlated with BM at birth (R=0.86; P<0.001). The effects of gender and maternal protein restriction, both individually and overall, based on biometrical and stereological parameters were: day 1, MPR largely responsible for the majority of alterations observed in LP groups, however gender influenced C/M ratio; day 21, MPR and gender interacted and modified the number of glomeruli per kidney. The early adverse of MPR effect on renal development is disproportionate between mature and immature glomeruli at birth leading to fewer glomeruli at weaning. This supports epidemiological data in humans underlying why fetuses with low birth weight carry an increased risk of mortality from chronic diseases in adulthood, including hypertension.