Page 7 - GPD-1-2

Gene & Protein in Disease

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Effects of DNA methylation and gene expression

on rats with protein malnutrition in early life

Zhi Qu , Liying Fu , Chenchen Wang , Suting Liu , and Bo Li *
1
1
1
1
1,2
1 Institute of Chronic Disease Risks Assessment, School of Nursing and Health, Henan University,
Kaifeng, 475004, P. R. China
2 Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Henan Provincial Eye Hospital, People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou
University, People’s Hospital of Henan University, Zhengzhou, 450003, China

Abstract
Although the mechanisms underlying how malnutrition in early life affects the
susceptibility to diseases later in life remain unclear, there is considerable interest in
the potential role of DNA methylation in the intrauterine programming of diseases.
In this study, digital gene expression profiles were used to analyze changes in gene
expression of protein-restricted rats early in life, while intergenerational rat models
were used to explore differences in whole blood genomic DNA methylation in an
environment stimulated by maternal protein intervention. Nine rats were randomly
divided into early-life low-protein group (LPE), fetal low-protein group (LPF), and
normal control group (CON). The LPE group was fed a low-protein diet on the 1 day
st
of pregnancy until the end of lactation. The LPF group was given low-protein diet
during pregnancy. The CON group was given a 20% protein diet from the 1 day of
st
pregnancy. Total mRNA was extracted from the sacrificed rats at the 48 week. The
th
number of differentially expressed genes for LPE versus CON, LPF versus CON, and
LPF versus LPE was 178, 223, and 302, respectively. Comparing LPE versus CON and
*Corresponding author:
Bo Li LPF versus CON, the upregulated genes common to the two groups were Gimap-
(10210022@vip.henu.edu.cn) 9, Serinc-4, Dnah-2, Sf3b-5, and Sat-2, and the downregulated genes were Ppp1r-3.
Citation: Qu Z, Fu L, Wang C, et al., Comparing LPF versus CON and LPF versus LPE, the upregulated genes were Mgat2
2022, Effects of DNA methylation and Cars, and the downregulated genes were Ddx28 and Slc12a9. The differentially
and gene expression on rats with expressed genes were mainly related to cell metabolism, immune response,
protein malnutrition in early life.
Gene Protein Dis, 1(2):169. signaling pathway, endocrine metabolism, stress response, ATP binding, and other
https://doi.org/10.36922/gpd.v1i2.169 functions. Early-life protein malnutrition affects gene expression of rat offspring and
involves multiple aspects of growth and development, with different stages of early-
Received: August 6, 2022
Accepted: October 12, 2022 life malnutrition leading to altered DNA methylation expression of corresponding
Published Online: November 4, 2022 genes, mainly in mitochondrial genes.
Copyright: © 2022 Author(s).
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the Keywords: Rats; Early life; Protein; Malnutrition; Gene expression; Genome-wide
Creative Commons Attribution DNA methylation
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited.
1. Introduction
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with The prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases , such as obesity, diabetes,
[1]
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional hypertension, gout, and cardiovascular diseases, has been increasing, which not only
affiliations. causes great suffering and a heavy financial burden on patients but also seriously affects

Volume 1 Issue 2 (2022) 1 https://doi.org/10.36922/gpd.v1i2.169