Low protein diet during lactation programs hepatic metabolism in adult male and female rats.

The liver is an essential regulator of energy metabolism, and its function can be disrupted by nutritional alterations. Since liver development continues during breastfeeding nutritional challenges during this period predispose patients to diseases throughout life. A maternal protein-restricted (PR) diet during lactation promotes reductions in the body weight, adiposity, and plasma glucose and insulin, leptin resistance and an increase in corticosterone and catecholamines in adult male rat offspring.