Investigation of the sex-specific effects of exposure to maternal protein restriction on metabolism and hypothalamus of young rats

• Grant number: 24/22437-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Histology
• Principal Investigator: Luis Antonio Justulin Junior
• Grantee: Carolina Beatriz Pinheiro Basso
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Maternal malnutrition is an adverse condition that can be associated with high-calorie and high-fat diets, as well as malnutrition and restriction of certain macromolecules. These parameters are linked to the concept of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), an area of ¿¿knowledge that postulates that effects on the gestational and/or lactational environment can influence the most diverse organs and systems in the offspring. Thus, data from the literature demonstrate that maternal protein restriction (MPR), a model of malnutrition, can affect metabolism, leading to an imbalance of several essential hormones. Therefore, the objective of this project is to evaluate the sex-specific differences in the effects of MPR on the hypothalamus of post-weaning rats. For this purpose, male and female Sprague Dawley rats will be divided into 2 groups: Rats born to mothers fed a normal-protein diet (CTR, 17% protein) or a low-protein diet (GLLP, 6% protein) throughout gestation and lactation. The animals will be euthanized on postnatal day (PND) 21, and blood and hypothalamus will be collected for metabolic, morphological, zymographic, immunohistochemical and Western blotting analyses. The results are expected to highlight possible structural and functional alterations in the hypothalamus, with the potential to trigger metabolic and systemic disorders that may increase susceptibility to diseases throughout developmental biology.