Altered brown adipose tissue mitochondrial function in neonates born to rats overfed foods of various protein content.

On day 3 of pregnancy, 20 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups and fed either a powdered, control diet containing 27% casein (control) or "cafeteria" diets of low (7%, LP), normal (26%, NP) or high (35%, HP) protein content throughout gestation. Maternal gross energy intake was significantly increased 35% in each of the cafeteria-fed groups compared to control. At birth, mean body weight of the offspring in each diet group was not significantly different, whereas brown adipose tissue (BAT) weight and mitochondrial function (unrestricted minus GDP-inhibited anion conductance) were significantly decreased in LP offspring and increased in NP and HP offspring when compared to controls. Maternal diet composition, therefore, can alter neonatal BAT mitochondrial function and, perhaps, thermogenic capacity independent of total energy intake during pregnancy.