Protein restriction during the fetal period upregulates IL1B and IL13 while suppressing Muc2 expression in the jejunum of mice after weaning

Fetal protein restriction in mice disrupts jejunal immune- and barrier function-related expression after weaning.

We examined mRNA and protein expression of cytokines and a Muc2 by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively, in the jejunoileum of 28- and 46-d-old mice born from mothers fed a low-carbohydrate (LC) or low-protein (LP) diet compared with those born from mothers fed a control diet during pregnancy.

Several recent studies have suggested that malnutrition during developmental periods affects organ function, including that of the small intestine, after birth. However, it is unclear whether carbohydrate or protein restriction during pregnancy affects the expression of mucins and cytokines within the small intestine of offspring.

The mRNA and protein expressions of Il1b and Il13 in the jejunum in 28-d-old mice were higher in the LP group. Il1b mRNA expression in the jejunum in 46-d-old mice was higher in the LC and LP groups than in controls. The protein levels of mucin 2 in 46-d-old mice were lower in the LP group than in the control group.