Body Composition and Behavior: Metabolic Implications of Birth via Cesarean Section in Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster)
Date
2022-05
Authors
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Throughout the United States the rates of performed cesarean section (CS) have
increased. The scientific community has observed an association between birth by cesarean and
the offspring's increased weight at maturity (Masukume, 2019). Studies are being conducted to
better understand the relationship between cesarean delivery and offspring metabolism
(Kozhimannil, 2013; Kenkel, 2020). To test this potential connection, a diet intervention study
has been used to test vaginal delivery (VD) vs CS birth subject’s weight gain using a prairie vole
model. Vole diets were either supplemented with a high-fat alternative mixed chow (MC) or fed
standard vole chow (VC) to induce weight gain. Through this study, we collected sucrose
preference, home cage, food consumption data from both birth mode groups and diet conditions.
At sacrifice, we collected measures of weight, length, and adipose tissue to analyze for post mortem body composition in adulthood of each group. CS voles gained more weight than VD
voles, despite having lower food consumption and greater locomotive activity. Body
composition analysis found that CS animals were longer and heavier than their VD counterparts.
Additionally, CS animals were found to have a larger percent brown adipose tissue relative to
body weight compared to VD counterparts. Future studies will target the variables contributing
to this weight gain among CS offspring by examining factors like muscle mass, and total
adiposity through advanced imaging data. Future studies will incorporate exogenous oxytocin
administration to examine the impact of birth mode on body weight, metabolism, adiposity, and
later life development to determine the possible mechanisms impacting the metabolic outcomes
seen in this study.
Description
Keywords
Cesarean section, Prairie vole, Body composition, Metabolism