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Spontaneous intrauterine growth restriction due to increased litter size in the guinea pig programmes postnatal growth, appetite and adult body composition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 June 2016

D. M. Horton ,
D. A. Saint ,
J. A. Owens ,
K. L. Kind  and
K. L. Gatford Open the ORCID record for K. L. Gatford [Opens in a new window]
D. M. Horton
Affiliation:
Robinson Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, SA, Australia School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, SA, Australia
D. A. Saint
Affiliation:
School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, SA, Australia
J. A. Owens
Affiliation:
Robinson Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, SA, Australia School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, SA, Australia
K. L. Kind
Affiliation:
Robinson Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, SA, Australia School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, SA, Australia
K. L. Gatford*
Affiliation:
Robinson Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, SA, Australia School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, SA, Australia
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr K. L. Gatford, Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia. (Email [email protected])
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Abstract

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and subsequent neonatal catch-up growth are implicated in the programming of increased appetite, adiposity and cardiometabolic diseases. Guinea pigs provide an alternate small animal model to rodents to investigate mechanisms underlying prenatal programming, being relatively precocial at birth, with smaller litter sizes and undergoing neonatal catch-up growth after IUGR. The current study, therefore, investigated postnatal consequences of spontaneous IUGR due to varying litter size in this species. Size at birth, neonatal, juvenile (post-weaning, 30–60 days) and adolescent (60–90 days) growth, juvenile and adolescent food intake, and body composition of young adults (120 days) were measured in 158 male and female guinea pigs from litter sizes of one to five pups. Compared with singleton pups, birth weight of pups from litters of five was reduced by 38%. Other birth size measures were reduced to lesser degrees with head dimensions being relatively conserved. Pups from larger litters had faster fractional neonatal growth and faster absolute and fractional juvenile growth rates (P<0.005 for all). Relationships of post-weaning growth, feed intakes and adult body composition with size at birth and neonatal growth rate were sex specific, with neonatal growth rates strongly and positively correlated with adiposity in males only. In conclusion, spontaneous IUGR due to large litter sizes in the guinea pig causes many of the programmed sequelae of IUGR reported in other species, including human. This may therefore be a useful model to investigate the mechanisms underpinning perinatal programming of hyperphagia, obesity and longer-term metabolic consequences.

Keywords

adiposityappetiteguinea piglitter sizesex differences
Type
Original Article
Information
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease , Volume 7 , Issue 5: Themed Issue: Australia/New Zealand 2015 DOHaD Scientific Meeting: Advances and Updates , October 2016 , pp. 548 - 562
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Copyright
© Cambridge University Press and the International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease 2016 

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