Effects of caffeine intake in mothers on maternal cortisol levels and offspring endochondral ossification

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to assess the effects of caffeine intake in mothers on maternal cortisol levels and on endochondral ossification of the offspring after birth. A total of 38 Wistar rats were analyzed, including a control group and three treated with caffeine at doses of 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg throughout pregnancy and lactation. Maternal cortisol levels were measured by chemiluminescence in the period the morning. Endochondral ossification of the offspring was assessed at 3 and 21 days of age by histomorphometry. Only the mothers in the group treated with 100 mg/kg of caffeine exhibited significantly higher cortisol levels in comparison to the control group. The offspring of mothers treated with caffeine of 50 and 100 mg/kg doses of caffeine showed significant reduction in the length of their limbs and vertebral bodies. Bone histomorphometry at 3 days of age showed abnormalities at all doses of caffeine. The 21-day-old offspring of mothers treated with caffeine remained significantly lower in weight and long bone length compared at 3 days of age.
We conclude that caffeine does not stop endochondral ossification, but rather inhibits. In addition, the effects of caffeine were more detrimental to the cartilage growth of 3-day-old pups, and the frequency and intensity of the observed changes were dose-dependent.