Effect of severe maternal dietary restriction on growth and intra-abdominal adipose tissue weights in offspring rats.

In Japan, the number of low weight birth babies is increasing. The increase in the number of slim young women is considered to be associated with the rising number of low birth weight babies in Japan. In 1993, Barker et al. published highly influential findings indicating a relationship between low birth weight and increased risk of developing symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Here, we report on results that occur when dietary restriction is applied during all periods of pregnancy. It was shown that, at 5 d, the mean weight of pups in the dietary restriction group was lower than the mean weight of pups in the control group. Catch-up growth began when milk yields of the dietary restriction group pups attained the same levels as those of the control group pups. Intra-abdominal adipose tissue weights of the dietary restricted group were significantly higher than those of the control group in males at 280 d after birth. Intra-abdominal adipose tissue weights of the dietary restricted group had a tendency to be higher than those of the control group for female rats. In male rats, it is considered that increase in intra-abdominal adipose tissue is related to lean body mass but it is not related to the function of brown adipose tissue (BAT). In female rats, it is considered that the increase in intra-abdominal adipose tissue is related to the function of BAT and lean body mass.