Effects Of Food Quality On Energy Metabolism, Reproductive Output And Offspring Metabolic Phenotype In Maternal Brandt’s Voles(Lasiopodomys Brandtii)

Food quality is one of the main factors, which can affect many physiological characteristics, such as body mass, energy metabolism and reproductive function. Maternal nutritional status (especially dietary protein content) during pregnancy and lactation has an important impact on growth and development, metabolism and metabolic phenotype of offspring. We used Brandt’s voles(Lasiopodomys brandtii) as study subjects, which primarily inhabit the Inner Mongolian grasslands. We mainly studied the effects of high protein diet or low fiber diet on energy intake and thermogenesis in reproductive and non-reprodctive Brandt’s voles, as well as the effects of maternal consumption of high protein diet or low fiber diet during pregnancy and lactation on reproductive output and metabolic phenotype of offspring. The main results and conclusions are as follows:1.High protein diet inhibited gross energy intake (GEI) and digestible energy intake of non-reprodutive Brandt’s voles, thus leading to the inhibition of the body mass gain. However, the inhibition effect was gradually disappeared during pregnancy and lactation. Digestibility was increased and serum leptin was decreased in both non-reproductive and reproductive voles fed high protein diet. The kidney mass was increased and caecum mass was decreased in reproductive voles fed high protein diet. High protein diet had no effects on resting metabolic rate (RMR), uncoupling protein1(UCP1) content and serum prolactin levels in both non-reproductive and reproductive voles.2. Low fiber diet reduced GEI of Brandt’s voles, but this effect was disappeared during lactation. Digestibility was increased in both non-reproductive and reproductive voles, but digestible energy intake (DEI) were kept stable in response to the low fiber diet. UCP1content in BAT was significantly decreased in non-reproductive voles with low fiber diet. The mass of caecum was significantly decreased with low fiber diet. But both non-reproductive and reproductive voles could maintained stable body mass, RMR, serum leptin and prolactin concentrations to adapt to changes in dietary fiber content.3.The reproductive output was not affected by maternal high protein during lactation. However, it can accelerate growth of body mass of male offspring. GEI, UCP1content, and adult serum leptin were not affected by maternal high protein diet. Digestibility, digestive tract with content (including small intestine, caecum, and colon), kidneys, epididymis of male, uterus and ovary of female and serum leptin of lactation offspring were increased by maternal high protein diet, but white fat mass (including retroperitoneal fat and inguinal fat) was decreased. We found maternal high protein diet enhanced glucose tolerance of female offspring.4. Similarly, maternal low fiber diet ensured stable reproductive output, and speeded up the growth in male offspring body mass, and increased glucose tolerance in female offspring. But maternal low fiber diet did not affect energy budget of offspring, UCP1content and serum leptin concentration of lactation and adult offspring.In summary, our results suggested that the reproductive voles exhibited different energetic responses to high protein diet from non-reproductive voles. Brandt’s voles were able to ensure the balance of the body mass, through adjusting energy metanolism and digestive tract to adapt to changes in dietary fiber content. Maternal high protein diet or low fiber diet during pregnancy and lactation did not affect reproductive output, but accelerated the growth of male offspring, and enhanced glucose tolerance of female offspring in Brandt’s voles. Therefore, the long-term effects of maternal diet status on the offspring metabolic phenotype is a survival strategy, which animals adapt to seasonal changes of food in the wild.