ヒツジにおいて、誕生時の低体重がその後の発育、脂肪蓄積および脳重量におよぼす長期的影響について

概要

論文の詳細を見る
Low birth weight (LBW) as a result of restricted fetal growth increases the risk for later metabolic diseases and adiposity. However the relationship between LBW and postnatal growth and adult body composition has not been fully investigated. We have used sheep to determine the effects of LBW on postnatal growth and body composition at maturity. LBW was induced by twinning and placental embolization. At birth, LBW lambs were 38% lighter than controls (2.8 ± 0.2 vs 4.4 ± 0.3 kg, P<0.05), but had caught up in bodyweight by 8 weeks after birth. At ~2.3 years, bodyweights were not different between groups, but there were reductions in absolute (-8%) and relative (-17%) brain weights of LBW sheep (P<0.05) compared to controls. X-ray absorptiometry showed that the mature LBW sheep, compared to controls, had greater amounts of lean muscle (38.1 ± 1.3 vs 35.3 ± 0.5 kg, P<0.05) and tended to have more body fat (12.2 ± 1.2 vs 9.6 ± 0.9 kg; P=0.1); at autopsy abdominal fat mass was greater in LBW sheep (3.06 ± 0.26 vs 2.20 ± 0.25 kg, P<0.05). Plasma leptin concentrations were not different between groups. We conclude that, in sheep, LBW is associated with early postnatal catch-up in body weight, but body composition is permanently altered such that, relative to controls, adiposity is increased and brain weight is decreased.
日本繁殖生物学会の論文
2005-02-01