Hypertension in rat offspring subjected to perinatal protein malnutrition is not related to the baroreflex dysfunction.

ABSTRACT

This study reports on the effects of maternal protein malnutrition on baroreflex (BR) control of the heart rate and sympathetic nerve activity in the hypertensive male offspring of Wistar rat dams. Wistar rat dams were fed a normal protein (NP) control (17% protein) or a low protein (LP; 8% protein) diet during pregnancy and lactation, and their male offspring were studied when 90 days old. In these animals we evaluated spontaneous and induced BR control, the variability of the cardiovascular system and analyzed a direct recording of lumbar sympathetic nervous activity. The 90 day-old LP conscious rats had increased arterial pressure compared to NP, with enhanced low frequency oscillations of the systolic pressure, but no changes in the spontaneous and induced BR control of heart rate. In relation to nerve recordings, we observed similar values in terms of mean, frequency and amplitude between the groups. In addition, we noted that spontaneous and induced BR control of lumbar sympathetic activity in the LP group was similar to the control group. The data indicate that hypertension in the adult rat offspring subjected to perinatal protein malnutrition is not related to baroreflex dysfunction.