Fig. 1

Design of the study. There were two periods in which the experimental diets were used: during pregnancy and the postweaning period. During pregnancy, the following diets were used: a normal protein, normal folic acid diet (NP-NF) (this was a modified AIN-93 diet); a protein-restricted, normal folic acid diet (PR-NF); a protein-restricted, folic acid–supplemented diet (PR-FS); and a normal protein, folic acid–supplemented diet (NP-FS). Two groups of progeny (4 and 10 weeks old) of each maternal dietary group were fed with the modified AIN-93 (NP-NF) or the HF diets for 6 weeks (the dotted lines). Each group of younger rats consisted of eight individuals (four males and four females), while the older animal groups consisted of six individuals (three males and three females)