Protein malnutrition during pregnancy alters maternal behavior and anxiety-like behavior in offspring

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of protein malnutrition during pregnancy on maternal behavior, on the early behavior in pups by ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) emission, and on the behavior of offspring in adulthood in an elevated T-maze.

Methods: Pregnant female rats were fed a normal protein-powdered diet (22% casein; control) or a low-protein (hypoproteic) diet (6% casein; protein restriction) during the first 2 weeks of pregnancy. On the fifth postpartum day (PND5), the number of USV was rated. On PND7, maternal behavior was assessed. Male offspring in adulthood were evaluated for behavioral performance in an elevated T-maze.

Results: Our results demonstrated that a hypoproteic diet during early pregnancy increased the maternal behavior, increased the number of USV by pups, and reduced the inhibitory avoidance responses in an elevated T-maze during adulthood. In addition, there was a reduction in weight gain of rats during pregnancy and of offspring during lactation.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the data found in our study suggest that the increase in USV emitted by pups due to hypoproteic diet during pregnancy accentuated maternal behavior. In addition, an increase in maternal care promoted the reduction in anxiety-like behavior in adult male offspring.

Keywords:

• Hypoproteic diet
• Maternal behavior
• Offspring

Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the excellent technical support of José dos Reis Pereira.

Disclosure statement

Contributors All authors contributed equally.

Funding This work was supported by Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG #01483/2013, AG-P) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, #456078/2014-2; FCV). The FAPEMIG and CNPq had no further role in the design of the study; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the paper for publication.

Conflict of interest No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors. The authors report no biomedical financial interests or potential conflicts of interest.

Ethics approval All experiments were conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki on the welfare of experimental animals and with the approval of the Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Alfenas (549/2014).