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High-protein diet during gestation and lactation affects mammary gland mRNA abundance, milk composition and pre-weaning litter growth in mice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 September 2010

M. Kucia ,
M. Langhammer ,
S. Görs ,
E. Albrecht ,
H. M. Hammon ,
G. Nürnberg  and
C. C. Metges
M. Kucia
Affiliation:
Research Unit Nutritional Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany
M. Langhammer
Affiliation:
Research Unit Genetics and Biometry, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany
S. Görs
Affiliation:
Research Unit Nutritional Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany
E. Albrecht
Affiliation:
Research Unit Muscle Biology and Growth, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany
H. M. Hammon
Affiliation:
Research Unit Nutritional Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany
G. Nürnberg
Affiliation:
Research Unit Genetics and Biometry, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany
C. C. Metges*
Affiliation:
Research Unit Nutritional Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany
*
†E-mail: metges@fbn-dummerstorf.de
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Abstract

We evaluated the effect of a high-protein diet (HP) on pregnancy, lactational and rearing success in mice. At the time of mating, females were randomly assigned to isoenergetic diets with HP (40% w/w) or control protein levels (C; 20%). After parturition, half of the dams were fed the other diet throughout lactation resulting in four dietary groups: CC (C diet during gestation and lactation), CHP (C diet during gestation and HP diet during lactation), HPC (HP diet during gestation and C diet during lactation) and HPHP (HP diet during gestation and lactation). Maternal and offspring body mass was monitored. Measurements of maternal mammary gland (MG), kidney and abdominal fat pad masses, MG histology and MG mRNA abundance, as well as milk composition were taken at selected time points. HP diet decreased abdominal fat and increased kidney mass of lactating dams. Litter mass at birth was lower in HP than in C dams (14.8 v. 16.8 g). Dams fed an HP diet during lactation showed 5% less food intake (10.4 v. 10.9 g/day) and lower body and MG mass. On day 14 of lactation, the proportion of MG parenchyma was lower in dams fed an HP diet during gestation as compared to dams fed a C diet (64.8% v. 75.8%). Abundance of MG α-lactalbumin, β-casein, whey acidic protein, xanthine oxidoreductase mRNA at mid-lactation was decreased in all groups receiving an HP diet either during gestation and/or lactation. Milk lactose content was lower in dams fed an HP diet during lactation compared to dams fed a C diet (1.6% v. 2.0%). On days 14, 18 and 21 of lactation total litter mass was lower in litters of dams fed an HP diet during lactation, and the pups’ relative kidney mass was greater than in litters suckled by dams receiving a C diet. These findings indicate that excess protein intake in reproducing mice has adverse effects on offspring early in their postnatal growth as a consequence of impaired lactational function.

Keywords

dietary protein intakemammary glandmilk compositionmouseoffspring growth
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , February 2011 , pp. 268 - 277
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2010

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