Dietary protein restriction during pregnancy and/or early weaning reduces the number of goblet cells in the small and large intestines of female mice pups

BACKGROUND: It remains unclear whether goblet cell numbers in offspring are altered by maternal nutritional status and/or early weaning. Herein, using a murine model, we clarified whether a low-protein (LP) diet during pregnancy and/or early weaning changes villus structures, goblet cell numbers, mucin intensity, and mucin mRNA expression in the mucosal layer throughout the intestines in mice offspring. METHODS: We examined villus-crypt structures and goblet cell numbers using hematoxylin-eosin staining. By performing alcian blue-PAS staining and RT-qPCR, we investigated mucin intensity in the mucosal layer and mRNA expressions of Muc2 and Muc4, respectively, in 17 (early weaning)-, 21 (normal weaning)- and 28-day old mice born from LP diet-fed mothers or those born from control diet-fed mothers during pregnancy. RESULTS: Dietary protein restriction reduced goblet cell numbers in throughout the intestine, particularly in the duodenum and jejunum, and mucin intensity in the mucosal layer at the border of the jejunum and colon. The LP diet increased villus height and decreased villus thickness throughout the small intestine and crypt depth and width in the cecum and colon. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary protein restriction during pregnancy and/or early weaning decreased the number of goblet cells, mucin intensity in the mucosal layer, and the Muc2 and Muc4 mRNA expressions in the small and large intestines, and affected the villus and crypt structures in the small and large intestines in female offspring mice during and after weaning. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Dietary abnormalities in fetal and weaning periods affects intestinal function.