Effects of Food Deprivation in Early Pregnancy on the Development of Ovaries and Adrenals in Female Progeny of the Water Vole ( Arvicola terrestris)

Abstract

The effects of maternal food deprivation for 16 hr on day 3 and again on day 5 of pregnancy on the development of adrenals and ovaries in the female offspring during postnatal life (8, 21, 30 and 60 days after birth) were examined. Experimental and control groups consisted of 6–15 animals. On day 8, the daughters of the deprived mothers had lower body weight than the control animals. Later, the differences between the groups disappeared. Maternal food deprivation alters the prepubertal dynamics of adrenal progesterone production in vitro, and in mature experimental females adrenal progesterone production is significantly ( P < 0.05) lower than in the control. In deprived mothers' offspring, the postnatal development of the endocrine function of the ovaries was disturbed: on day 8, the ovarian progesterone production was 3.3 times less ( P < 0.001) and ovarian estradiol production was 3.2 times less ( P < 0.05) than in the control, and on day 30, a prepubertal peak in ovarian estradiol production in vitro was absent. Maternal food deprivation causes alterations in the prepubertal dynamics of blood concentrations of corticosterone, progesterone and estradiol and reduction in blood concentrations of progesterone ( P < 0.05) and estradiol ( P < 0.001) in mature individuals. It was concluded that maternal food deprivation before implantation disturbs the normal course of postnatal maturation of the ovarian endocrine functions and adrenal progesterone secretion in daughters.