Department of Biochemistry, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Suita, Osaka, 565-8565, Japan.
Department of Perinatology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Suita, Osaka, 565-8565, Japan.
Nutr Res. 2015 Jan;35(1):76-87. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2014.10.014. Epub 2014 Nov 7.
Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) occurs in 3% to 7% of all pregnancies. Recent human studies have indicated that neurodevelopmental disabilities, learning disorders, memory impairment, and mood disturbance are common in IUGR offspring. However, the interactions between IUGR and neurodevelopmental disorders are unclear because of the wide range of causes of IUGR, such as maternal malnutrition, placental insufficiency, pregnancy toxemia, and fetal malformations. Meanwhile, many studies have shown that moderate food restriction enhances spatial learning and improves mood disturbance in adult humans and animals. To date, the effects of maternal moderate food restriction on fetal brain remain largely unknown. In this study, we hypothesized that IUGR would be caused by even moderate food restriction in pregnant females and that the offspring would have neurodevelopmental disabilities. Mid-pregnant mice received moderate food restriction through the early lactation period. The offspring were tested for aspects of physical development, behavior, and neurodevelopment. The results showed that moderate maternal food restriction induced IUGR. Offspring had low birth weight and delayed development of physical and coordinated movement. Moreover, IUGR offspring exhibited mental disabilities such as anxiety and poor cognitive function. In particular, male offspring exhibited significantly impaired cognitive function at 3 weeks of age. These results suggested that a restricted maternal diet could be a risk factor for developmental disability in IUGR offspring and that male offspring might be especially susceptible.
宫内发育迟缓（IUGR）发生在所有妊娠中的 3%至 7%。最近的人类研究表明，神经发育障碍、学习障碍、记忆障碍和情绪障碍在 IUGR 后代中很常见。然而，由于 IUGR 的原因广泛，如母体营养不良、胎盘功能不全、妊娠毒血症和胎儿畸形，IUGR 与神经发育障碍之间的相互作用尚不清楚。同时，许多研究表明，适度的食物限制可增强成年人类和动物的空间学习能力，并改善情绪障碍。迄今为止，母体适度食物限制对胎儿大脑的影响在很大程度上尚不清楚。在这项研究中，我们假设即使是母体适度食物限制也会导致 IUGR，并且后代会出现神经发育障碍。妊娠中期的雌性小鼠通过早期哺乳期接受适度的食物限制。对后代进行身体发育、行为和神经发育方面的测试。结果表明，母体适度食物限制会导致 IUGR。后代出生体重低，身体和协调运动发育迟缓。此外，IUGR 后代表现出精神障碍，如焦虑和认知功能差。特别是，雄性后代在 3 周龄时表现出明显的认知功能障碍。这些结果表明，限制母体饮食可能是 IUGR 后代发育障碍的一个危险因素，而雄性后代可能更容易受到影响。
