Effects of Low Protein-High Carbohydrate Diet during Early and Late Pregnancy on Respiratory Quotient and Visceral Adiposity

Figure 4

Respiratory quotient (ratio of CO₂ produced by the O₂ consumed) recorded for 24 h in nonpregnant rats and pregnant rats. Data were collected using metabolic cages (Panlab, Spain). The section inside the box represents the dark phase (the light-off); the black circles represent the group of rats with control diet while the white circles correspond to the group of rats with low-protein diet; the black rectangles correspond to rats with a control diet, and white rectangles indicate rats with a low-protein diet. AUC: arbitrary units of the area under the curve. (a) Respiratory quotient (ratio of CO₂ produced by the O₂ consumed) recorded for 24 h in nonpregnant rats (NP), (b) respiratory quotient (ratio of CO₂ produced by the O₂ consumed) recorded for 24 h in pregnant rats (8G), and (c) respiratory quotient (ratio of CO₂ produced by the O₂ consumed) recorded for 24 h in pregnant rats (15G). (d) The black bars (rectangles) correspond to the group of rats with control diet and indicate the area under the curve of respiration coefficient during the light period. NP: nonpregnant; 8G: gestation day 8; 15G: gestation day 15. The white bars correspond to the group of rats that consumed the low-protein diet and represent the area under the curve of the respiration coefficient during the light period. NP: nonpregnant; 8G: gestation day 8; 15G: gestation day 15 (intergroup comparisons). (e) The black bars (rectangles) correspond to the group of rats that consumed the control diet and represent the area under the curve of the respiration coefficient during the night period. NP: nonpregnant; 8G: gestation day 8; 15G: gestation day 15. The white bars correspond to the group of rats that consumed the low-protein diet and represent the area under the curve of the respiration coefficient during the light period. NP: nonpregnant; 8G: gestation day 8; 15G: gestation day 15 (intergroup comparisons). (f) The black bars (rectangles) correspond to the group of rats that consumed the control diet and represent the area under the curve of the respiration coefficient during 24 h. NP: nonpregnant; 8G: gestation day 8; 15G: gestation day 15. The white bars correspond to the group of rats that consumed the low-protein diet and represent the area under the curve of the respiration coefficient during the light period. NP: nonpregnant; 8G: gestation day 8; 15G: gestation day 15 (intergroup comparisons). (g) The black bars correspond to the group of rats that consumed the control diet and represent the area under the curve of the respiration coefficient during the light period. NE: nonpregnant; 8G: gestation day 8; 15G: gestation day 15. The white bars correspond to the group of rats that consumed the low-protein diet and represent the area under the curve of the respiration coefficient during the light period. NP: nonpregnant; 8G: gestation day 8; 15G: gestation day 15 (intragroup comparisons). (h) The black bars correspond to the group of rats that consumed the control diet and represent the area under the curve of the respiration coefficient during the night period. NP: nonpregnant; 8G: gestation day 8; 15G: gestation day 15. The white bars correspond to the group of rats that consumed the low-protein diet and represent the area under the curve of the respiration coefficient during the light period. NE: nonpregnant; 8G: gestation day 8; 15G: gestation day 15 (intragroup comparisons). (i) The black bars correspond to the group of rats that consumed the control diet and represent the area under the curve of the respiration coefficient during 24 h. NP: nonpregnant; 8G: gestation day 8; 15G: gestation day 15. The white bars correspond to the group of rats that consumed the low-protein diet and represent the area under the curve of the respiration coefficient during the light period. NP: nonpregnant; 8G: gestation day 8; 15G: gestation day 15 (intragroup comparisons). Data represent the mean and standard error of three independent experiments ().