Day-restricted feeding during pregnancy and lactation programs glucose intolerance and impaired insulin secretion in male rat offspring.

AIM: The maternal environment during pregnancy and lactation plays a determining role in programming energy metabolism in offspring. Among a myriad of maternal factors, disruptions in the light/dark cycle during pregnancy can program glucose intolerance in offspring. Out-of-phase feeding has recently been reported to influence metabolism in adult humans and rodents; however, it is not known whether this environmental factor impacts offspring metabolism when applied during pregnancy and lactation. This study aims to determine whether maternal day-restricted feeding (DF) influences energy metabolism in offspring. METHODS: Pregnant and lactating Wistar rats were subjected to ad libitum (AL) or DF during pregnancy and lactation. The offspring born to the AL and DF dams were intra- and interfostered, which resulted in 4 group types. RESULTS: The male offspring born to and breastfed by the DF dams (DF/DF off) were glucose intolerant, but without parallel insulin resistance as adults. Experiments with isolated pancreatic islets demonstrated that the male DF/DF off rats had reduced insulin secretion with no parallel disruption in calcium handling. However, this reduction in insulin secretion was accompanied by increased miRNA-29a and miRNA34a expression and decreased syntaxin 1a protein levels. CONCLUSION: We conclude that out-of-phase feeding during pregnancy and lactation can lead to glucose intolerance in male offspring, which is caused by a disruption in insulin secretion capacity. This metabolic programming is possibly caused by mechanisms dependent on miRNA modulation of syntaxin 1a.

Functional molecular markers (EST-SSR) in the full-sib reciprocal recurrent selection program of maize (Zea mays L.).

This study aimed to improve grain yield in the full-sib reciprocal recurrent selection program of maize from the North Fluminense State University. In the current phase of the program, the goal is to maintain, or even increase, the genetic variability within and among populations, in order to increase heterosis of the 13th cycle of reciprocal recurrent selection. Microsatellite expressed sequence tags (EST-SSRs) were used as a tool to assist the maximization step of genetic variability, targeting the functional genome. Eighty S1 progenies of the 13th recur-rent selection cycle, 40 from each population (CIMMYT and Piranão), were analyzed using 20 EST-SSR loci. Genetic diversity, observed heterozygosity, information content of polymorphism, and inbreeding co-efficient were estimated. Subsequently, analysis of genetic dissimilarity, molecular variance, and a graphical dispersion of genotypes were conducted. The number of alleles in the CIMMYT population ranged from 1 to 6, while in the Piranão population the range was from 2 to 8, with a mean of 3.65 and 4.35, respectively. As evidenced by the number of alleles, the Shannon index showed greater diversity for the Piranão population (1.04) in relation to the CIMMYT population (0.89). The genic SSR markers were effective in clustering genotypes into their respective populations before selection and an increase in the variation between populations after selection was observed. The results indicate that the study populations have expressive genetic diversity, which cor-responds to the functional genome, indicating that this strategy may contribute to genetic gain, especially in association with the grain yield of future hybrids.

Vagotomy ameliorates islet morphofunction and body metabolic homeostasis in MSG-obese rats

The parasympathetic nervous system is important for β-cell secretion and mass regulation. Here, we characterized involvement of the vagus nerve in pancreatic β-cell morphofunctional regulation and body nutrient homeostasis in 90-day-old monosodium glutamate (MSG)-obese rats. Male newborn Wistar rats received MSG (4 g/kg body weight) or saline [control (CTL) group] during the first 5 days of life. At 30 days of age, both groups of rats were submitted to sham-surgery (CTL and MSG groups) or subdiaphragmatic vagotomy (Cvag and Mvag groups). The 90-day-old MSG rats presented obesity, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and hypertriglyceridemia. Their pancreatic islets hypersecreted insulin in response to glucose but did not increase insulin release upon carbachol (Cch) stimulus, despite a higher intracellular Ca2+ mobilization. Furthermore, while the pancreas weight was 34% lower in MSG rats, no alteration in islet and β-cell mass was observed. However, in the MSG pancreas, increases of 51% and 55% were observed in the total islet and β-cell area/pancreas section, respectively. Also, the β-cell number per β-cell area was 19% higher in MSG rat pancreas than in CTL pancreas. Vagotomy prevented obesity, reducing 25% of body fat stores and ameliorated glucose homeostasis in Mvag rats. Mvag islets demonstrated partially reduced insulin secretion in response to 11.1 mM glucose and presented normalization of Cch-induced Ca2+ mobilization and insulin release. All morphometric parameters were similar among Mvag and CTL rat pancreases. Therefore, the higher insulin release in MSG rats was associated with greater β-cell/islet numbers and not due to hypertrophy. Vagotomy improved whole body nutrient homeostasis and endocrine pancreatic morphofunction in Mvag rats.

Vagotomy ameliorates islet morphofunction and body metabolic homeostasis in MSG-obese rats.

The parasympathetic nervous system is important for ß-cell secretion and mass regulation. Here, we characterized involvement of the vagus nerve in pancreatic ß-cell morphofunctional regulation and body nutrient homeostasis in 90-day-old monosodium glutamate (MSG)-obese rats. Male newborn Wistar rats received MSG (4 g/kg body weight) or saline [control (CTL) group] during the first 5 days of life. At 30 days of age, both groups of rats were submitted to sham-surgery (CTL and MSG groups) or subdiaphragmatic vagotomy (Cvag and Mvag groups). The 90-day-old MSG rats presented obesity, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and hypertriglyceridemia. Their pancreatic islets hypersecreted insulin in response to glucose but did not increase insulin release upon carbachol (Cch) stimulus, despite a higher intracellular Ca(2+) mobilization. Furthermore, while the pancreas weight was 34% lower in MSG rats, no alteration in islet and ß-cell mass was observed. However, in the MSG pancreas, increases of 51% and 55% were observed in the total islet and ß-cell area/pancreas section, respectively. Also, the ß-cell number per ß-cell area was 19% higher in MSG rat pancreas than in CTL pancreas. Vagotomy prevented obesity, reducing 25% of body fat stores and ameliorated glucose homeostasis in Mvag rats. Mvag islets demonstrated partially reduced insulin secretion in response to 11.1 mM glucose and presented normalization of Cch-induced Ca(2+) mobilization and insulin release. All morphometric parameters were similar among Mvag and CTL rat pancreases. Therefore, the higher insulin release in MSG rats was associated with greater ß-cell/islet numbers and not due to hypertrophy. Vagotomy improved whole body nutrient homeostasis and endocrine pancreatic morphofunction in Mvag rats.

Serum S100B in pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Serum S100B is a protein produced and released primarily by astrocytes of the Central Nervous System (CNS). Elevated levels of serum S100B are associated with several types of pathological conditions of the brain, including the eclampsia in pregnant women. The aim of this study was to compare serum S100B concentrations in pregnant women with severe and mild preeclampsia (PE) with S100B serum levels in normotensive pregnant women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Serum S100B protein was measured in normotensive pregnant women (n=15) and in women with mild PE (n=12) or severe PE (n=34). The serum S100B level (µg/L) was determined by an luminometric assay. RESULTS: Sixty-one expectant mothers were studied, aged 26.6±8.7 (mean±SD) years and with a gestational age of 33.3±4.2 weeks. The severe PE group demonstrated higher S100B levels (0.20±0.19), as compared with mild PE (0.07±0.05) or normotensive groups (0.04±0.05). CONCLUSION: Elevated serum S100B levels in pregnant women with severe PE suggest that some kind of neural damage and subsequent astrocytic release of S100B is not dependent on the progression from severe preeclampsia to eclampsia.