Matern protein restriction: fetal and ovarian development in adult rat offspring

Abstract

Maternal nutrient restriction impairs overall fetal development with a long-term outcomes, including infertility in the adult offspring. The gestational food restriction may acts as stress factor that induces abnormal development/differentiation of ovarian cells in late life. The activation of several intracellular pathways in this disorder could affect in adulthood the follicular cells survival and proliferation. The follicular development and atresia seem to depend upon a sophisticated balance between survival and atretogenic molecules. AT2 receptor (AT2R) present in atresic follicles, granulose cells and follicle stimulating hormone receptors (FSHR) is the most important follicular survival factor. Also, the heat shock proteins (HSPs) acts as molecular chaperon, allowing cells to adapt to graded environment changes and to survive in adverse conditions. (AU)