EFFECTS OF FOOD-DEPRIVATION IN EARLY-PREGNANCY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF OVARIES AND ADRENALS IN FEMALE PROGENY OF THE WATER VOLE (ARVICOLA-TERRESTRIS)

The effects of maternal food deprivation for 16 hr on day 3 and again on day 5 of pregnancy on the development of adrenals and ovaries in th e female offspring during postnatal life (8, 21, 30 and 60 days after birth) were examined. Experimental and control groups consisted of 6-1 5 animals. On day 8, the daughters of the deprived mothers had lower b ody weight than the control animals. Later, the differences between th e groups disappeared. Maternal food deprivation alters the prepubertal dynamics of adrenal progesterone production in vitro, and in mature e xperimental females adrenal progesterone production is significantly ( P < 0.05) lower than in the control. In deprived mothers' offspring, t he postnatal development of the endocrine function of the ovaries was disturbed: on day 8, the ovarian progesterone production was 3.3 times less (P < 0.001) and ovarian estradiol production was 3.2 times less (P < 0.05) than in the control, and on day 30, a prepubertal peak in o varian estradiol production in vitro was absent. Maternal food depriva tion causes alterations in the prepubertal dynamics of blood concentra tions of corticosterone, progesterone and estradiol and reduction in b lood concentrations of progesterone (P < 0.05) and estradiol (P < 0.00 1) in mature individuals. It was concluded that maternal food deprivat ion before implantation disturbs the normal course of postnatal matura tion of the ovarian endocrine functions and adrenal progesterone secre tion in daughters. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.