Kidney Function of the Progeny of Rats Fed a Low Protein Diet

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Abstract
Maternal protein malnutrition in the rat has previously been shown to result in morphological changes in the kidneys of the young. The present study was an investigation of kidney function in these young. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to a control or pair-bred group fed a diet containing 24% casein, or to the experimental group fed a diet containing 6% casein. The pair-bred females were used as foster mothers for the experimental young. Water diuresis, osmotic diuresis, and inulin clearance were determined in control and deficient young. The results indicate that dams fed a protein-deficient diet during pregnancy produce offspring that have altered kidney function, with marked reduction in glomerular filtration rate and depressed urine excretion during both water diuresis and osmotic diuresis. It is suggested that these effects may be related to previous findings of fewer and more immature glomeruli but may also be attributable to extra-renal factors. The effects may also be influenced by postnatal diet.