Effects of maternal iron restriction in the rat on blood pressure, glucosetolerance, and serum lipids in the 3-month-old offspring

Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated associations between low birth weig ht and increased rates of adult diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Maternal iron restriction in the rat has been reported to both reduce birt h weight and to elevate blood pressure at 40 days of age. The aim of the pr esent study was to extend these findings to investigate the affects of mate rnal iron restriction on glucose tolerance and serum lipids, 2 important co mponents of the metabolic syndrome, in adult offspring. Blood pressure, glu cose tolerance, and serum lipids were measured in the 3-month-old offspring of iron-restricted dams. Rats were placed on control or iron-restricted di ets 1 week before mating. At term, darns on the iron-restricted diet were a nemic with decreased haemoglobin, red blood cell (RBC) count, hematocrit, a nd mean RBC volume compared with controls. Neonates from iron-restricted li tters were more severely anemic than the dams. At birth, body weight was lo wer in the offspring of iron-restricted darns than in controls and was stil l decreased at 3 months of age. At this same age, systolic blood pressure w as significantly elevated in the offspring of iron-restricted darns. Glucos e tolerance was improved in the maternal iron-restricted group. Fasting ser um insulin levels were not different between the control and maternal iron- restricted groups. Fasting serum triglyceride was decreased in the offsprin g of iron-restricted dams compared with controls. Fasting serum cholesterol and free fatty acid concentrations were similar in both groups. These resu lts suggest that maternal iron restriction has long-term effects on physiol ogy and metabolism in the offspring. Some of these findings are comparable to those reported for the maternal protein-restriction model. It is thus sp eculated that the long-term effects of maternal dietary restriction may res ult from common fetal metabolic responses to this restriction. Copyright (C ) 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company.