A critical period for formation of secondary myotubes defined by prenatal undernourishment in rats

Rats fed a restricted diet during gestation and lactation gave birth to pups with about 60% the normal birthweight. Maintaining the undernutrition after birth reduced the rate of growth of the pups so that their body weights were only 40% of control at PN7. Soleus and lumbrical muscles in these animals had reduced numbers of muscle fibres, and quantitative examination of embryonic muscles revealed that this was due solely to a decreased formation of secondary myotubes; the number of primary myotubes remained normal. Undernutrition did not affect the number of motoneurones surviving normal developmental death. Restoration of normal dietary intake on E21, one day before birth, did not correct the deficit in muscle fibre numbers in soleus muscles examined when the animals reached one month of age. Development of the lumbrical muscle lags behind the soleus and unrestricted feeding from E21 onwards allowed a normal number of fibres to develop from this time on, although the initial deficit was never restored. These experiments define a critical period in muscle development during which the potential maximum number of secondary myotubes is determined.