Open AccessAlteration of mitochondrial function in adult rat offspring of malnourished dams
Author(s) -
Brigitte Reusens
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
world journal of diabetes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1948-9358
DOI - 10.4239/wjd.v2.i9.149
Subject(s) - medicine , malnutrition , offspring , epigenetics , diabetes mellitus , pregnancy , obesity , physiology , phenotype , bioinformatics , endocrinology , biology , genetics , gene
Under-nutrition as well as over-nutrition during pregnancy has been associated with the development of adult diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Both epigenetic modifications and programming of the mitochondrial function have been recently proposed to explain how altered intrauterine metabolic environment may produce such a phenotype. This review aims to report data reported in several animal models of fetal malnutrition due to maternal low protein or low calorie diet, high fat diet as well as reduction in placental blood flow. We focus our overview on the β cell. We highlight that, notwithstanding early nutritional events, mitochondrial dysfunctions resulting from different alteration by diet or gender are programmed. This may explain the higher propensity to develop obesity and diabetes in later life.