Reproductive effects of maternal and pre-weaning undernutrition in rat offspring: Age at puberty, onset of female reproductive senescence and intergenerational pup growth and viability

Maternal and/or postnatal undernutrition are widespread in human populations and are components of many experimental developmental and reproductive toxicology bio-assays. This study investigated in utero and/or pre-weaning undernutrition effects on reproductive maturation and senescence in the Sprague–Dawley rat as well as potential intergenerational effects. Pregnant rats were given food ad libitum or at 50% of normal dietary intake throughout pregnancy. Their offspring (control or IUGR) were cross-fostered to control dams with litter sizes of 8 or 16 pups (control and undernourished). Offspring body weights were reduced and onset of male puberty slightly delayed in animals from large postnatal litters. Similar body weight effects were observed in females but there was no difference in the age of vaginal opening. Female reproductive senescence as measured by onset of estrus acyclicity occurred at a younger age in IUGR-8-pup and Control-16-pup groups compared to Control-8-pup or IUGR-16-pup groups. Females were bred to control males and no evidence of adverse reproductive effects was found in any F2 groups. The offspring of the F1 generation did not show an intergenerational effect as documented in humans.