Increased systolic blood pressure in rat offspring following a maternal low-protein diet is normalized by maternal dietary choline supplementation

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 342-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Y. Bai ◽  
D. I. Briggs ◽  
M. H. Vickers

An adverse prenatal environment may induce long-term metabolic consequences, in particular hypertension and cardiovascular disease. A maternal low-protein (LP) diet is well known to result in increased blood pressure (BP) in offspring. Choline has been shown to have direct BP-reducing effects in humans and animals. It has been suggested that endogenous choline synthesis via phosphatidylcholine is constrained during maternal LP exposure. The present study investigates the effect of choline supplementation to mothers fed a LP diet during pregnancy on systolic BP (SBP) in offspring as measured by tail-cuff plethysmography. Wistar rats were assigned to one of three diets to be fed ad libitum throughout pregnancy: (1) control diet (CONT, 20% protein); (2) an LP diet (9% protein); and (3) LP supplemented with choline (LP + C). Dams were fed the CONT diet throughout lactation and offspring were fed the CONT diet from weaning for the remainder of the trial. At postnatal day 150, SBP and retroperitoneal fat mass was significantly increased in LP offspring compared with CONT animals and was normalized in LP + C offspring. Effects of LP + C reduction in SBP were similar in both males and females. Plasma choline and phosphatidylcholine concentrations were not different across treatment groups, but maternal choline supplementation resulted in a significant reduction in homocysteine concentrations in LP + C offspring compared with LP and CONT animals. The present trial shows for the first time that maternal supplementation with dietary choline during periods of LP exposure can normalize increased SBP and fat mass observed in offspring in later life.

1997 ◽  
Vol 93 (5) ◽  
pp. 423-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon C. Langley-Evans

1. In the rat low birthweight and raised systolic blood pressure are the consequence of fetal exposure to maternal low protein diets. Nutritional down-regulation of the placental isoform of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, which may increase exposure of the fetus to maternal glucocorticoids, has been suggested to underlie effects of low protein diets on fetal growth and blood pressure. 2. Pregnant rats were fed control (18% casein) or low protein (9% casein) diets throughout gestation. Animals fed the control diet were injected with carbenoxolone, an inhibitor of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. Injections were administered either throughout pregnancy (days 0–22), or targeted to specific periods in early (days 0–7), mid- (days 8–14) or late (days 15–22) gestation. 3. Exposure to a low protein diet reduced birthweight and at 4 weeks of age systolic blood pressure was significantly elevated in the rats exposed to low protein. These hypertensive animals had small kidneys in proportion to body weight. 4. Fetal exposure to carbenoxolone at any period in gestation resulted in lower weight at birth. In rats exposed to the inhibitor over days 8–14, 15–22 or 0–22 systolic blood pressure at 4 weeks was significantly higher than in control animals. The greatest elevation of pressure was associated with carbenoxolone treatment in late (days 15–22) gestation. Animals with carbenoxolone-induced hypertension did not exhibit evidence of retarded renal growth. 5. Increased fetal exposure to maternal glucocorticoids impairs fetal growth and programmes elevated blood pressure in later life.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Anna Bilska-Wilkosz ◽  
Magdalena Kotańska ◽  
Magdalena Górny ◽  
Barbara Filipek ◽  
Małgorzata Iciek

The exogenous lipoic acid (LA) is successfully used as a drug in the treatment of many diseases. It is assumed that after administration, LA is transported to the intracellular compartments and reduced to dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) which is catalyzed by NAD(P)H-dependent enzymes. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether LA can attenuate cardiovascular disturbances induced by ethanol (EtOH) and disulfiram (DSF) administration separately or jointly in rats. For this purpose, we measured systolic and diastolic blood pressure, recorded electrocardiogram (ECG), and estimated mortality of rats. We also studied the activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) in the rat liver. It was shown for the first time that LA partially attenuated the cardiac arrhythmia (extrasystoles and atrioventricular blocks) induced by EtOH and reduced the EtOH-induced mortality of animals, which suggests that LA may have a potential for use in cardiac disturbance in conditions of acute EtOH intoxication. The administration of EtOH, LA, and DSF separately or jointly affected the ALDH activity in the rat liver since a significant decrease in the activity of the enzyme was observed in all treatment groups. The results indicating that LA is an inhibitor of ALDH activity are very surprising.


2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 355-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Plank ◽  
Christian Plank ◽  
Christian Grillhösl ◽  
Christian Plank ◽  
Christian Grillhösl ◽  
...  

1996 ◽  
Vol 91 (5) ◽  
pp. 607-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon C. Langley-Evans ◽  
Simon J. M. Welham ◽  
Rachel C. Sherman ◽  
Alan A. Jackson

1. In the rat, hypertension is induced by fetal exposure to maternal low-protein diets. The effect on blood pressure of undernutrition before conception and during discrete periods in early, mid or late pregnancy was assessed using an 18% casein (control) diet and a 9% casein diet to apply mild protein restriction. 2. The offspring of rats fed 9% casein developed raised blood pressure by weaning age. Feeding a low-protein diet before conception was not a prerequisite for programming of hypertension. 3. Hypertension was observed in rats exposed to low protein during the following gestational periods: days 0–7, days 8–14 and days 15–22. Blood pressure increases elicited by these discrete periods of undernutrition were lower than those induced by feeding a low-protein diet throughout pregnancy. The effect in early gestation was significant only in male animals. Post-natal growth of male rats exposed to low-protein diets was accelerated, but kidneys were small in relation to body weight. 4. Biochemical indices of glucocorticoid action in liver, hippocampus, hypothalamus and lung were elevated in rats exposed to low-protein diets in utero. The apparent hypersensitivity to glucocorticoids was primarily associated with undernutrition in mid to late gestation. 5. Plasma renin activity was elevated in rats exposed to 9% casein over days 15–22 of gestation. Animals undernourished over days 0–7 and 8–14 produced pups with lower plasma angiotensin II concentrations at weaning. 6. Fetal exposure to maternal low-protein diets for any period in gestation may programme hypertension in the rat. Alterations to renal structure, renal hormone action or the hypothalamic—pituitary-adrenal axis may all play a role in the programming phenomenon, either independently or in concert.


2000 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel C. SHERMAN ◽  
Simon C. LANGLEY-EVANS

Epidemiological evidence from diverse human populations, supported by experimental evidence from animal models, suggests that maternal nutrition during pregnancy is an important fetal programming influence upon cardiovascular disease. Experiments with a low-protein-diet model of rat pregnancy suggest a role for the renin–angiotensin system in the programming mechanism, since fetal undernutrition permanently elevates pulmonary and plasma angiotensin-converting enzyme activity. Long-term beneficial effects of captopril on blood pressure in this model require further investigation in order to clarify the role of angiotensin II. Pregnant rats were fed a control diet containing 18% (w/w) casein as the protein source or a low-protein diet containing 9% (w/w) casein. Between the ages of 2 and 4 weeks postnatally, mothers and their pups were treated with losartan or nifedipine. All pups in the study had blood pressure determined at 4 and 12 weeks of age using a tail cuff. Animals exposed to the low-protein diet in utero and not subjected to drug treatment had elevated blood pressure relative to control rats (mean increase of 27 mmHg; P < 0.001). Treatment of rats exposed to the control diet in utero with either nifedipine or losartan between 2 and 4 weeks of age did not alter their blood pressure. Nifedipine had no effect upon the blood pressure of low-protein-exposed pups, but losartan prevented the blood pressure elevation in these animals. Between 4 and 12 weeks of age, blood pressure increased significantly in all groups (P < 0.001). The pattern of blood pressure among the groups was identical to that observed at 4 weeks, suggesting that the observed early effects of losartan would be maintained into adult life. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that angiotensin II plays a major role in the prenatal programming of hypertension. The action of angiotensin II at the AT1 receptor between 2 and 4 weeks of age may be critically up-regulated by fetal factors, including exposure to glucocorticoids of maternal origin.


1998 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 373-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel C. Sherman ◽  
Simon C. Langley-Evans

1. Associations of intrauterine exposure to maternal undernutrition with later hypertension and coronary heart disease in the human population have been duplicated in the rat. Fetal exposure to low protein diets produces offspring that develop raised systolic blood pressure by the age of weaning. This animal model of ‘programmed’ hypertension was used to investigate the role of the renin—angiotensin system in the initiation and maintenance of high blood pressure. 2. Pregnant rats were fed diets containing 18 or 9% casein from conception until littering. The offspring from these pregnancies were administered captopril either between 2 and 4 weeks of age, or from 10 to 12 weeks of age. 3. The feeding of low protein diets in pregnancy had no effect upon the reproductive ability of female rats and the offspring generated were of normal birthweight. By 4 weeks of age the male and female offspring of low-protein-fed dams had systolic blood pressures that were 24–25 mmHg higher than those of rats exposed to a control diet in utero. 4. Treatment of 10-week-old female offspring with captopril for 2 weeks indicated that angiotensin II formation may play a role in the maintenance of high blood pressure in low-protein-exposed rats. While captopril had no significant effect upon systolic pressures of rats exposed to the control diet in intrauterine life, the systolic blood pressures of low-protein animals rapidly declined by 31 mmHg. 5. Administration of captopril to male and female offspring between 2 and 4 weeks of age exerted long-term effects upon systolic blood pressure. Eight weeks after cessation of treatment, at an age where maximal blood pressures are achieved, captopriltreated, low-protein-exposed rats had similar blood pressures to normotensive rats exposed to the protein-replete diet in utero. 6. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that the elevation of adult blood pressure associated with fetal exposure to a maternal low-protein diet, is prevented by early administration of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor. The actions of angiotensin II in the late suckling period may be a critical determinant of long-term cardiovascular functions in these animals.


2002 ◽  
Vol 103 (6) ◽  
pp. 633-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan A. JACKSON ◽  
Rebecca L. DUNN ◽  
Michael C. MARCHAND ◽  
Simon C. LANGLEY-EVANS

When rat dams consume a diet low in protein during pregnancy, their offspring develop high blood pressure. On a low-protein diet, the endogenous formation of the amino acid glycine is thought to become constrained. Glycine may become conditionally essential, as its rate of endogenous formation is inadequate to meet metabolic needs, and may be limiting for the normal development of the fetus. In the present study, five groups of Wistar rats were provided during pregnancy with one of five diets: a control diet containing 18% (w/w) casein (CON), a low-protein diet containing 9% casein (MLP), or the low-protein diet supplemented with 3% glycine (MLPG), alanine (MLPA) or urea (MLPU). The offspring were weaned on to standard laboratory chow, and blood pressure was measured at 4 weeks of age. Blood pressure was significantly increased in the MLP, MLPA and MLPU groups compared with the CON group, but for the MLPG group blood pressure was not significantly different from CON. Compared with the CON group, body weight was significantly reduced for the MLP, MLPA and MLPG groups, but for the MLPU group body weight was not different from CON. These data show that different forms of non-essential dietary nitrogen, when consumed during pregnancy, exert different effects upon the growth and function of the offspring. The availability of glycine appears to be of critical importance for normal cardiovascular development.


Hypertension ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda E Garza ◽  
Luminita Pojoga ◽  
Rene Baudrand ◽  
Burhanuddin Moize ◽  
Tham Yao ◽  
...  

Background: We recently demonstrated that mice lacking one copy of the striatin gene (Strn+/-) have salt sensitivity of blood pressure (BP) as compared with WT mice. To determine whether Strn+/- mice have increased sensitivity to aldosterone (ALDO), we assessed the effect on blood pressure of an ALDO infusion in WT and Strn+/- mice fed a liberal sodium diet. Methods: In this study we used 12 week old WT and Strn+/- littermate male mice. For each genotype, mice were placed on HS diet and randomized to either: 1) placebo 2) ALDO (200 μg/Kg/day) or 3) ALDO plus 100 mg/kg/day eplerenone. BP was measured by tail cuff plethysmography at baseline and after treatment. After 21 days of treatment, animals were placed in metabolic cages for 24 hours. Finally, animals were sacrificed and organs excised. Primary endpoints were BP, renal immunohistochemistry, protein analysis by western blot and mRNA expression by RT-PCR. Results: BP increased significantly in Strn+/- mice treated with ALDO (ΔBP: 12 ± 4 mmHg, p=0.03) but not placebo (ΔBP 6± 6 mmHg); the BP effect of ALDO was blunted by eplerenone (Δ 6 ± 3 mmHg). In contrast, none of the treatments had a significant effect on BP in WT mice. Kidney weight was significantly increased after 3 weeks of ALDO treatment in both WT and Strn+/- mice and this increase in kidney weight was prevented by treatment with eplerenone, with no difference between genotypes. WT mice had an increase in glomerular volume (GV) in HS/ALDO treated that was blunted by eplerenone. Interestingly, Strn+/- mice had increased GV across all 3 treatment groups compared with WT mice. pAkt/Akt ratios were reduced in Strn+/- mice versus WT mice across all treatments. Classic genomic MR targets (ENaC and SGK1) and non-genomic targets (pAkt/Akt) were significantly modulated in kidney tissue of Strn+/- mice compared to WT mice with chronic ALDO. Conclusion: Strn+/- mice have an increased sensitivity to infused ALDO (increased BP response and increased rise in renal ENaC and SGK1 protein) as compared to WT mice. Since loss of striatin directly reduces nongenomic not genomic action of ALDO, this study demonstrates for the first time that modifying the nongenomic pathway may under chronic, in vivo conditions led to increased sensitivity to the genomic actions of ALDO.


2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 104-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Duschek ◽  
Heike Heiss ◽  
Boriana Buechner ◽  
Rainer Schandry

Recent studies have revealed evidence for increased pain sensitivity in individuals with chronically low blood pressure. The present trial explored whether pain sensitivity can be reduced by pharmacological elevation of blood pressure. Effects of the sympathomimetic midodrine on threshold and tolerance to heat pain were examined in 52 hypotensive persons (mean blood pressure 96/61 mmHg) based on a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind design. Heat stimuli were applied to the forearm via a contact thermode. Confounding of drug effects on pain perception with changes in skin temperature, temperature sensitivity, and mood were statistically controlled for. Compared to placebo, higher pain threshold and tolerance, increased blood pressure, as well as reduced heart rate were observed under the sympathomimetic condition. Increases in systolic blood pressure between points of measurement correlated positively with increases in pain threshold and tolerance, and decreases in heart rate were associated with increases in pain threshold. The findings underline the causal role of hypotension in the augmented pain sensitivity related to this condition. Pain reduction as a function of heart rate decrease suggests involvement of a baroreceptor-related mechanism in the pain attrition. The increased proneness of persons with chronic hypotension toward clinical pain is discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seiji Umemoto ◽  
Toshio Ogihara ◽  
Masunori Matsuzaki ◽  
Hiromi Rakugi ◽  
Kazuyuki Shimada ◽  
...  

Background: In the trial known as COPE (Combination Therapy of Hypertension to Prevent Cardiovascular Events) three benidipine (a calcium channel blocker; CCB) regimens were compared. Hypertensive Japanese outpatients aged 40–85 years (n=3,293) who did not achieve the target blood pressure of <140/90 mmHg with benidipine 4 mg/day were treated with the diuretic thiazide (n=1,094) or a β-blocker (n=1,089) or an additional angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB; n=1,110). A significantly higher incidence of hard cardiovascular composite endpoints and of fatal or non-fatal strokes was observed in the benidipine-β-blocker group compared to the benidipine-thiazide group. Objective and Methods: We further evaluated the treatment effects of the three benidipine-based regimens on vascular and renal events in a sub-analysis of the COPE patients. Results: A total of 10 vascular events (0.8 per 1,000 person-years) including one aortic dissection (0.1 per 1,000 person-years) and nine cases of peripheral artery disease (0.8 per 1,000 person-years) were documented, as was a total of seven renal events (0.6 per 1,000 person-years). No significant differences in vascular and renal events were revealed among the three treatment groups: vascular events p=0.92 renal events p=0.16 log-rank test. Conclusions: Blood pressure-lowering therapy with benidipine combined with an ARB, β-blocker, or thiazide was similarly effective in the prevention of vascular and renal events in hypertensive outpatients, although there is no enough these events to compare the difference in the three treatment groups.


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