Effects of sugar consumption on the metabolic profile and prostatic morphophysiology in the rat offspring submitted to the perinatal protein restriction

• Grant number: 16/21208-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date until: October 01, 2017
• End date until: September 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Histology
• Principal Investigator: Luis Antonio Justulin Junior
• Grantee: Matheus Naia Fioretto
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The increase in world consumption of "added sugar" has been linked to the global epidemic of obesity. Indeed, epidemiological and experimental studies demonstrated higher rates of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the adult population of individuals whose mothers underwent inadequate conditions during pregnancy, such as perinatal protein restriction (RPP). Recently, experimental studies have shown that the reproductive system and reproductive capacity are also affected by RPP in the offspring of mice, male and female. Thus, this project aims to evaluate rats underwent RPP (pregnancy and lactation) are more sensitive to metabolic changes after postnatal exposure to consumption of refined sugar (most consumed form of sugar) compared to rats born to normal pregnancy. In addition, considering data from our group which demonstrated the negative effect of Fetal Programming induced by perinatal protein restriction (pregnancy and lactation) on the development and prostate maturation in offspring, we will also evaluate the impacts of sugar consumption on prostate morphophysiology these animals. It will be used male offspring of Sprague Dawley rats from normal or RPP dams. The offspring will be divided into four groups: control (CTR): Rats born to mothers who consumed the normal diet (23% protein) and water ad libitum during pregnancy and lactation; Control + sugar (CTR + ACU): The same treatment CTR and rats will consume sugar solution (10% diluted in water) from postnatal day 21 (DPN21 weaning) until the end of the experiment; perinatal protein restriction (RPP): Rats born to mothers fed hypoproteic feed (6% protein) during pregnancy and lactation and after that, fed standard diet (23% protein) and water ad libitum until the end of the experiment; RPP + ACU group: Rats born to mothers fed hypoproteic diet during pregnancy and lactation and which will consume normal chow and sugar solution (10% diluted in water) ad libitum from postnatal day 21 to the end of the experiment. In DPN 90, the animals will be anesthetized, weighed and euthanized. The blood will be collected for metabolic and hormonal analysis, and the ventral prostate collected for morphological, immunohistochemical and biochemical analyzes. The results will help to understand the effects of maternal protein restriction on metabolic and prostate parameters of exposed offspring postnatal sugar consumption. This project falls under the research responsible line that investigate the impact of different models of fetal programming, such as intrauterine protein restriction and gestational diabetes on metabolic parameters associated with prostatic morphophysiology in the offspring of male rats. (AU)