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Prenatal Centrifugation: A Mode1 for Fetal Programming of Body Weight?'Fetal programming' is a newly emerging field that is revealing astounding insights into the prenatal origins of adult disease, including metabolic, endocrine, and cardiovascular pathophysiology. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that rat pups conceived, gestated and born at 2-g have significantly reduced birth weights and increased adult body weights as compared to 1-g controls. Offspring were produced by mating young adult male and female rats that were adapted to 2-g centrifugation. Female rats underwent conception, pregnancy and birth at 2-g. Newborn pups in the 2-g condition were removed from the centrifuge and fostered to non-manipulated, newly parturient dams maintained at 1 -g. Comparisons were made with 1-g stationary controls, also crossfostered at birth. As compared to 1-g controls, birth weights of pups gestated and born at 2-g were significantly reduced. Pup body weights were significantly reduced until Postnatal day (P) 12. Beginning on P63, body weights of 2-g-gestated offspring exceeded those of 1-g controls by 7-10%. Thus, prenatal rearing at 2-g restricts neonatal growth and increases adult body weight. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis that 2-g centrifugation alters the intrauterine milieu, thereby inducing persistent changes in adult phenotype.
Document ID
20060054353
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Baer, Lisa A.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Rushing, Linda
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Wade, Charles E.
(Army Inst. of Surgical Research Fort Sam Houston, TX, United States)
Ronca, April E.
(Wake Forest Univ. Winston-Salem, NC, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
July 1, 2005
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Gravitational Physiology, Volume 12, Number 1
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNA04CK03
CONTRACT_GRANT: NIMH-MH46485
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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