Nutritional recovery with a soybean diet after weaning reduces lipogenesis but induces inflammation in the liver in adult rats exposed to protein restriction during intrauterine life and lactation.

We evaluated the effects of postweaning nutritional recovery with a soybean flour diet on de novo hepatic lipogenesis and inflammation in adult rats exposed to protein restriction during intrauterine life and lactation. Rats from mothers fed with protein (casein) in a percentage of 17% (control, C) or 6% (low, L) during pregnancy and lactation were fed with diet that contained 17% casein (CC and LC groups, resp.) or soybean (CS and LS groups, resp.

Short-term low-protein diet during pregnancy alters islet area and protein content of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway in rats.

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways mediate β cell growth, proliferation, survival and death. We investigated whether protein restriction during pregnancy alters islet morphometry or the expression and phosphorylation of several proteins involved in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. As controls, adult pregnant and non-pregnant rats were fed a normal-protein diet (17%).

A low-protein diet during pregnancy prevents modifications in intercellular communication proteins in rat islets.

Background: Gap junctions between β-cells participate in the precise regulation of insulin secretion. Adherens junctions and their associated proteins are required for the formation, function and structural maintenance of gap junctions. Increases in the number of the gap junctions between β-cells and enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion are observed during pregnancy.

Nutritional recovery with okara diet prevented hypercholesterolemia, hepatic steatosis and glucose intolerance.

We assessed the biological value of an okara diet and its effects on the hormonal and metabolic profile of rats submitted to protein restriction during intra-uterine life and lactation and recovered after weaning. Male rats from mothers fed either 17% or 6% protein during pregnancy and lactation were maintained on 17% casein (CC, LC), 17% okara (CO, LO) or 6% casein (LL) diets over 60 d. The nutritional quality of the okara protein was similar to that of casein.

Protein restriction in early life is associated with changes in insulin sensitivity and pancreatic β-cell function during pregnancy.

Malnutrition in early life impairs glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in adulthood. Conversely, pregnancy is associated with a significant increase in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion under conditions of normoglycaemia. A failure in β-cell adaptive changes may contribute to the onset of diabetes.

Low-Protein Diet during Lactation and Maternal Metabolism in Rats.

Some metabolic alterations were evaluated in Wistar rats which received control or low-protein (17%; 6%) diets, from the pregnancy until the end of lactation: control non-lactating (CNL), lactating (CL), low-protein non-lactating (LPNL) and lactating (LPL) groups. Despite the increased food intake by LPL dams, both LP groups reduced protein intake and final body mass was lower in LPL. Higher serum glucose occurred in both LP groups.

Soybean diet alters the insulin-signaling pathway in the liver of rats recovering from early-life malnutrition.

Objective: We investigated if alterations in the insulin-signaling pathway could contribute to reduced hepatic glycogen levels in adult rats subjected to a protein deficiency during intrauterine life and lactation and reared through to recovery on a soybean diet.

Methods: Rats from mothers fed with 17% or 6% protein (casein) during pregnancy and lactation were maintained with a 17% casein diet (offspring born to and suckled by mothers fed a control diet and subsequently fed the same diet after weaning [CC group] and offspring born to and suckled by mothers fed a control diet and subsequently fed a soybean flour diet with 17% protein after weaning [CS group]), a soybean diet (offspring of mothers fed a low-protein diet and a control diet after weaning [LC group] and offspring of mothers fed a low-protein diet and fed a soybean flour diet containing 17% protein after weaning [LS group]), or a 6% casein diet (offspring of mothers fed a low-protein diet and subsequently fed the same diet after weaning [LL group]) from weaning until 90 d of life.

Results: A soybean diet did not modify basal serum glucose and glucagon concentrations, but raised basal serum insulin and consequently increased the serum insulin/glucose ratio.

Effect of nutritional recovery with soybean flour diet on body composition, energy balance and serum leptin concentration in adult rats.

Background: Malnutrition in early life is associated with obesity in adulthood and soybean products may have a beneficial effect on its prevention and treatment. This study evaluated body composition, serum leptin and energy balance in adult rats subjected to protein restriction during the intrauterine stage and lactation and recovering on a soybean flour diet.

Methods: Five groups of the Wistar strain of albino rats were used: CC, offspring born to and suckled by mothers fed a control diet and fed the same diet after weaning; CS, offspring born to and suckled by mothers fed a control diet and fed a soybean diet with 17% protein after weaning; LL, offspring of mothers fed a low protein diet and fed the same diet after weaning; LC, offspring of mothers fed a low protein diet, but fed a control diet after weaning; LS, offspring of mothers fed a low protein diet, but fed a soybean diet with 17% protein after weaning.

Soybean diet improves insulin secretion through activation of cAMP/PKA pathway in rats.

Maternal malnutrition leads to permanent alterations in insulin secretion of offspring and the soybean diet contributes to improve insulin release. At least a soy component, genistein, seems to increase the insulin secretion by activating the cAMP/PKA and PLC/PKC pathways. Here, we investigated the effect of the soybean diet on the expression of PKAalpha and PKCalpha, and insulin secretion in response to glucose and activators of adenylate cyclase and PKC in adult pancreatic rat islets.

Nutritional recovery with a soybean flour diet improves the insulin response to a glucose load without modifying glucose homeostasis.

Objective: We investigated the effect of nutritional recovery with a soybean flour diet on glucose tolerance, insulin response to a glucose load, and the action of insulin in adult rats exposed to a protein deficiency during intrauterine life and lactation.

Methods: Male Wistar rats from dams fed a normal- or low-protein diet during pregnancy and lactation were maintained after weaning by feeding them normal-protein isoenergetic diets containing soybean flour or casein and low-protein casein diet.

Results: Rats fed a soybean flour diet had a lower final body weight, epididymal fat pad, carcass fat content, and liver glycogen level.