Altering maternal calcium and phosphorus dietary intake induces persistent sex-specific changes in the dentition of the offspring.

BACKGROUND: The maternal diet is essential to offspring development, but the specific effects on tooth morphology are still unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of altering maternal calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) supplementation during gestation and lactation on offspring dentition. METHODS: Pregnant mice were fed an experimental diet containing a threefold increase in Ca and a threefold decrease in P compared to the standard mouse chow diet at embryonic Day 0.5 (E0.5). Offspring mice were maintained on standard or experimental diets from post-natal Day 0 to weaning, then fed control diets until 6 weeks of age. Six-week-old offspring heads were collected and scanned using micro-computed tomography. Dental morphometrics of offspring maxillary and mandibular first and third molars (n = 5-6 per diet/per sex) were determined. A two-way ANOVA test was employed to verify the existence of any significant differences between groups. The significance level was set at P < .05. RESULTS: A two-way ANOVA revealed a statistically significant interaction between the effects of diet and sex on the upper and lower dentition. Moreover, experimental diet-fed female offspring exhibited smaller molars with shorter mesiodistal width and larger pulp chambers relative to controls, while experimental diet-fed male offspring possessed larger molars with wider mesiodistal width and smaller pulp chambers. CONCLUSION: Our findings reveal that altering the maternal and offspring dietary Ca:P ratio during gestation, lactation and weaning led to significant, sex-specific changes in the offspring dentition. The differences in dentition appeared to be correlated with the sex-specific changes in the craniofacial skeleton.

Altering calcium and phosphorus supplementation in pregnancy and lactation affects offspring craniofacial morphology in a sex-specific pattern.

INTRODUCTION: The effects on offspring craniofacial bone morphology and accretion because of altered maternal exposure to dietary components such as calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) are unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the changes in offspring skull morphology and tissue mineral density (TMD), including sex-specific changes, with exposure to a maternal diet high in Ca-to-P levels during gestation and lactation in mice. METHODS: Time-mated FVB wild-type mice were fed a normal or experimental diet during gestation until weaning. The experimental diet contained a 3-fold increase in Ca and a 3-fold decrease in P (Ca:P molar ratio, 10.5) compared with normal mouse chow (Ca:P molar ratio, 1.5). The heads of 6-week-old control and experimental offspring mice were collected and scanned using microcomputed tomography. Three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis was performed to analyze changes in craniofacial morphology. TMD measurements were also analyzed. RESULTS: We observed subtle changes and no significant differences between offspring control and experimental skulls when we compared all samples. However, when we separated skulls by sex, we discovered significant differences in craniofacial morphology and TMD. Experimental female offspring possessed skulls that were smaller, narrower transversely, taller vertically, and decreased in TMD. Experimental male offspring possessed skulls that were larger, wider transversely, shorter vertically, and increased in TMD. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal exposure to diet and increased Ca:P molar ratio during gestation and lactation led to significant, sex-specific morphologic and TMD changes in 6-week-old mouse skulls.

Altering calcium and phosphorus levels in utero affects adult mouse mandibular morphology.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of our study was to determine morphological changes and bone mineral density (BMD) differences in the adult mandible of offspring exposed to high calcium, low phosphorus diets in utero until weaning age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Time-mated FVB wild-type mice were fed normal or experimental diet during gestation and until weaning of offspring. Experimental diet contained 3-fold increase in calcium and 3-fold decrease in phosphorus compared to normal diet. Adult mandibles of offspring exposed to experimental diet were sacrificed and heads scanned using micro-computed tomography. Three-dimensional 3D geometric morphometric analysis GMA was utilized to detect morphological changes to the mandible including the condyle. RESULTS: Experimental females showed the greatest morphological differences including shortened mandibular ramus width and height, shortened mandibular body length and height, a wider but shortened condylar neck and a wider condylar head in the lateral-medial direction. Experimental male mandibles trended towards increased mandibular body height and length, opposite the changes observed in experimental female mandibles, whereas condyles were similar to that observed in experimental females. Bone mineral density (BMD) was lowered in experimental females. CONCLUSION: Increased calcium and decreased phosphorus levels led to a retrognathic mandible associated with lowered BMD in experimental females, whereas experimental showed partly opposite effects. Further studies are required to understand the mechanism underlying diet- and gender-specific differences in mandibular morphology.

Beneficial effect of melatonin in the treatment of neonatal sepsis.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of melatonin as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of neonatal sepsis. METHODS: This study is a prospective nonrandomized nonblind case-control study and was carried on 40 neonates with neonatal sepsis diagnosed by both clinical and laboratory criteria. They were enrolled from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Menoufia University Hospitals. These cases were selected during the study period from November 2015 to May 2016 and were divided into two groups: intervention group (number 20 neonates) received melatonin 20 mg as single dose and antibiotics and control group (number 20 neonates) received antibiotics only and then both groups followed by physical examination, complete blood count (CBC), and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) to evaluate the improvement in both groups. RESULTS: Before melatonin administration, there was no significant difference between intervention group and control group with regard to clinical condition, hs-CRP, and other serum parameters. After 24 and 72 hours of melatonin administration, both groups improved with regard to clinical condition, hs-CRP, and serum parameters with significant improvement in intervention group than control group. CONCLUSION: Melatonin could be used in the treatment of neonatal sepsis in both preterm and full-term neonates beside the conventional treatment.