A maternal low-protein diet results in sex-specific differences in synaptophysin expression and milk fatty acid profiles in neonatal rats.

The developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis have highlighted the link between early life environment and long-term health outcomes in offspring. For example, maternal protein restriction during pregnancy and lactation can result in adverse metabolic and cognitive outcomes in offspring postnatal. Hence, in the present study, we assess whether an isocaloric low-protein diet (ILPD) affects the fatty acid profile in breast milk, the hippocampal synaptophysin (Syn) ratio, and the oxidative stress markers in the neonatal stage of male and female offspring.