PERINATAL FOOD RESTRICTION IN RATS REDUCES THE CONTENT BUT NOT CONCENTRATION OF LIVER EXTRACELLULAR-MATRIX PROTEINS

Fibrosis of the liver has been reported to be associated with malnutri tion, based on qualitative histological and histochemical approaches. The aim of this study was to quantitatively examine the effect of peri natal food-restriction on the expression of extracellular matrix compo nents of the liver, using rats fed 50% of ad libitum intake, determine d by the food consumption of the control group on the previous day. Le vels of extracellular matrix proteins were measured by dot blot analys is using monospecific antibodies against collagen types I, III and IV, laminin and fibronectin. The body weights of 4, 8 and 13-wk-old malno urished groups were 25, 35 and 48% of the control group body weights, respectively, and the liver weights were 22, 32 and 60% of the control s. The total contents of the extracellular matrix components were sign ificantly reduced to 30, 34 and 58% of the controls, but when expresse d per tissue or per milligram protein there were no significant differ ences. Indirect immunofluorescence revealed no major changes in extrac ellular matrix localization. The major histological change in the food -restricted rats was fatty infiltration. Our observations suggest that the effect of perinatal food restriction is mainly liver steatosis, a nd that the liver of food-restricted animals during the perinatal peri od has the capacity to preserve its main extracellular matrix componen ts.