The pups’ endometrium morphology is affected by maternal malnutrition during suckling

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This study aims to determine the effects of maternal protein and energy malnutrition during lactation on the endometrial structures of the offspring at puberty. At parturition, dams were randomly assigned to the following groups: control group (C), with free access to a standard laboratory diet containing 23% protein; protein-restricted (PR) group, with free access to an isoenergy and protein-restricted diet containing 8% protein; and energy-restricted (ER) group, receiving standard laboratory diet in restricted quantities. After weaning, all female pups had free access to standard laboratory diet. At puberty, the animals were sacrificed with pentobarbital and only females on the diestrum stage were used for the analyses. The stereological method used for quantifying the uterine endometrium was the M42 test system. When compared to C group, both PR and ER groups presented a significant reduction in the length density of the glands (PR=53%, ER=35.7%, p<0.001), in the volumetric density of the epithelium (PR=49%, ER=38%, p<0.001) and lumen (PR=42.7%, p<0.001; ER=23.8%, p<0.001) and in the surface density of the inner (PR=22%, ER=13.8%, p<0.001) and outer (PR=55.4%, p<0.01; ER=40.6%, p<0.001) glands. The volumetric density of the stroma was significantly higher in both PR (114%, p<0.001) and ER (117%, p<0.001) groups. In all parameters studied, there was no significant difference between PR and ER groups. Our results show that the protein and energy restriction during lactation leads to an atrophy of the uterine endometrial glands of the offspring at puberty.