Moderate offspring exercise offsets the harmful effects of maternal protein deprivation on mitochondrial function and oxidative balance by modulating sirtuins.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
It has been demonstrated that maternal low protein during development induces mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in the heart. Moderate-intensity exercise in early life, conversely, increases the overall cardiac health. Thus, we hypothesize that moderate-intensity exercise performed during young age could ameliorate the deleterious effect of maternal protein deprivation on cardiac bioenergetics.


METHODS AND RESULTS
We used a rat model of maternal protein restriction during gestational and lactation period followed by an offspring treadmill moderate physical training. Pregnant rats were divided into two groups: normal nutrition receiving 17% of casein in the diet and undernutrition receiving a low-protein diet (8% casein). At 30 days of age, the male offspring were further subdivided into sedentary (NS and LS) or exercised (NT and LT) groups. Treadmill exercise was performed as follows: 4 weeks, 5 days/week, 60 min/day at 50% of maximal running capacity. Our results showed that a low-protein diet decreases oxidative metabolism and mitochondrial function associated with higher oxidative stress. In contrast, exercise rescues mitochondrial capacity and promotes a cellular resilience to oxidative stress. Up-regulation of cardiac sirtuin 1 and 3 decreased acetylation levels, redeeming from the deleterious effect of protein restriction.


CONCLUSION
Our findings show that moderate daily exercise during a young age acts as a therapeutical intervention opposing the harmful effects of a maternal diet restricted in protein.
['Silva Pedroza|Anderson Apolonio|AA|', 'Bernardo|Elenilson M|EM|', 'Pereira|Allifer R|AR|', 'Andrade Silva|Severina Cassia|SC|', 'Lima|Talitta A|TA|', 'de Moura Freitas|Cristiane|C|', 'da Silva Junior|Jose Carlos|JC|', 'Gomes|Dayane A|DA|', 'Ferreira|Diorginis S|DS|', 'Lagranha|Claudia J|CJ|']
D000367:Age Factors D000818:Animals D000975:Antioxidants D018753:Diet, Protein-Restricted D004734:Energy Metabolism D005260:Female D006331:Heart Diseases D008297:Male D044342:Malnutrition D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena D008929:Mitochondria, Heart D009752:Nutritional Status D018384:Oxidative Stress D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal D011247:Pregnancy D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects D017208:Rats, Wistar D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species D012420:Running D037761:Sirtuins D013997:Time Factors
Oxidative stress Heart Childhood exercise Epigenetic Maternal low-protein diet