Fetal exposure to a maternal low-protein diet during mid-gestation results in muscle-specific effects on fibre type composition in young rats.

This study assessed the impact of reduced dietary protein during specific periods of fetal life upon muscle fibre development in young rats. Pregnant rats were fed a control or low-protein (LP) diet at early (days 0-7 gestation, LPEarly), mid (days 8-14, LPMid), late (days 15-22, LPLate) or throughout gestation (days 0-22, LPAll). The muscle fibre number and composition in soleus and gastrocnemius muscles of the offspring were studied at 4 weeks of age. In the soleus muscle, both the total number and density of fast fibres were reduced in LPMid females (P = 0.004 for both, Diet x Sex x Fibre type interactions), while both the total number and density of glycolytic (non-oxidative) fibres were reduced in LPEarly, LPMid and LPLate (but not LPAll) offspring compared with controls (P < 0.001 for both, Diet x Fibre type interaction). In the gastrocnemius muscle, only the density of oxidative fibres was reduced in LPMid compared with control offspring (P = 0.019, Diet x Fibre type interaction), with the density of slow fibres being increased in LPAll males compared with control (P = 0.024, Diet x Sex x Fibre type interaction). There were little or no effects of maternal diet on fibre type diameters in the two muscles. In conclusion, a maternal low-protein diet mainly during mid-pregnancy reduced muscle fibre number and density in 4-week-old rats, but there were muscle-specific differences in the fibre types affected.