Low-protein diet impairs vascular relaxation in virgin and pregnant rats

2002 ◽  
Vol 102 (5) ◽  
pp. 553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angeliki KOUMENTAKI ◽  
Frederick ANTHONY ◽  
Lucilla POSTON ◽  
Timothy WHEELER
2002 ◽  
Vol 102 (5) ◽  
pp. 553-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angeliki KOUMENTAKI ◽  
Frederick ANTHONY ◽  
Lucilla POSTON ◽  
Timothy WHEELER

Pregnancy is associated with increases in maternal cardiac output and plasma volume and a reduction in peripheral vascular resistance. Cardiac output and plasma volume are substantially reduced in pregnant rats fed a low-protein diet, but it is not known whether vascular function is also compromised. We have investigated vascular function in virgin and pregnant Wistar rats subjected to dietary protein restriction [9% (w/v) casein, compared with 18% (w/v) casein for controls]. The diets were fed to the groups for 18 days; in the pregnant rats, the diets were given from day 1 of pregnancy. Branches of the mesenteric arteries were studied on day 18 of the dietary period using myography. Significant reductions in sensitivity to acetylcholine occurred in vessels from virgin (P = 0.04) and pregnant (P = 0.01) rats that had consumed the 9% casein diet. In arteries from the virgin rats on the restricted diet there was also a significant reduction in sensitivity (P = 0.0003) and maximum relaxation (P = 0.009) to the NO donor spermine NONOate. Mean placental and fetal weights were significantly lower in the rats fed on 9% casein (P<0.0001 and P = 0.005 respectively). Thus low-protein diets impair vasodilator responses in female rats. These effects may contribute to the poor cardiovascular adaptation to pregnancy and lower fetal weights associated with restricted protein intake.


2015 ◽  
Vol 308 (5) ◽  
pp. F411-F419 ◽  
Author(s):  
German Lozano ◽  
Ayah Elmaghrabi ◽  
Jordan Salley ◽  
Khurrum Siddique ◽  
Jyothsna Gattineni ◽  
...  

The present study examined whether a prenatal low-protein diet programs a decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and an increase in systolic blood pressure (BP). In addition, we examined whether altering the postnatal nutritional environment of nursing neonatal rats affected GFR and BP when rats were studied as adults. Pregnant rats were fed a normal (20%) protein diet or a low-protein diet (6%) during the last half of pregnancy until birth, when rats were fed a 20% protein diet. Mature adult rats from the prenatal low-protein group had systolic hypertension and a GFR of 0.38 ± 0.03 versus 0.57 ± 0.05 ml·min−1·100 g body wt−1 in the 20% group ( P < 0.01). In cross-fostering experiments, mothers continued on the same prenatal diet until weaning. Prenatal 6% protein rats cross-fostered to a 20% mother on day 1 of life had a GFR of 0.53 ± 0.05 ml·min−1·100 g body wt−1, which was not different than the 20% group cross-fostered to a different 20% mother (0.45 ± 0.04 ml·min−1·100 g body wt−1). BP in the 6% to 20% group was comparable with the 20% to 20% group. Offspring of rats fed either 20% or 6% protein diets during pregnancy and cross-fostered to a 6% mother had elevated BP but a comparable GFR normalized to body weight as the 20% to 20% control group. Thus, a prenatal low-protein diet causes hypertension and a reduction in GFR in mature adult offspring, which can be modified by postnatal rearing.


Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 1094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talita de Mello Santos ◽  
Marilia Martins Cavariani ◽  
Dhrielly Natália Pereira ◽  
Bruno César Schimming ◽  
Luiz Gustavo de Almeida Chuffa ◽  
...  

The maternal nutritional status is essential to the health and well-being of the fetus. Maternal protein restriction during the perinatal stage causes sperm alterations in the offspring that are associated with epididymal dysfunctions. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor, VEGFr-2, as well as aquaporins (AQPs) are important regulators of angiogenesis and the epididymal microenvironment and are associated with male fertility. We investigated the effects of maternal protein restriction on epididymal angiogenesis and AQP expression in the early stages of postnatal epididymal development. Pregnant rats were divided into two experimental groups that received either a normoprotein (17% protein) or low-protein diet (6% protein) during gestation and lactation. At postnatal day (PND)7 and PND14, male offspring were euthanized, the epididymides were subjected to morphometric and microvascular density analyses and to VEGF-A, VEGF-r2, AQP1 and AQP9 expression analyses. The maternal low-protein diet decreased AQP9 and VEGFr-2 expression, decreased epididymal microvascularity and altered the morphometric features of the epididymal epithelium; no changes in AQP1 expression were observed at the beginning of postnatal epididymal development. Maternal protein restriction alters microvascularization and affects molecules involved in the epidydimal microenvironment, resulting in morphometric alterations related to a delay in the beginning of epididymis postnatal development.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 345-353
Author(s):  
Mónica Navarro-Meza ◽  
Ana B. Cardador-Martínez ◽  
Olivia Vazquez-Martínez ◽  
José A. Cruz-Ramos ◽  
Felipe Santoyo-Telles ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haijun Gao ◽  
Daren Tubianosa Tanchico ◽  
Uma Yallampalli ◽  
Chandrasekhar Yallampalli

Pulmonary angiotensin II production is enhanced in pregnant rats fed a low-protein (LP) diet. Here we assessed if LP diet induces elevations in angiotensin II production in nonpregnant rats and whetherAceexpression and ACE activity in lungs are increased. Nonpregnant rats were fed a normal (CT) or LP diet for 8, 12, or 17 days and timed pregnant rats fed for 17 days from Day 3 of pregnancy. Plasma angiotensin II, expressions ofAceandAce2, and activities of these proteins in lungs, kidneys, and plasma were measured. These parameters were compared among nonpregnant rats or between nonpregnant and pregnant rats fed different diets. Major findings are as follows: (1) plasma angiotensin II levels were slightly higher in the LP than CT group on Days 8 and 12 in nonpregnant rats; (2) expression ofAceandAce2and abundance and activities of ACE and ACE2 in lungs, kidneys, and plasma of nonpregnant rats were unchanged by LP diet except for minor changes; (3) the abundance and activities of ACE in lungs of pregnant rats fed LP diet were greater than nonpregnant rats, while those of ACE2 were decreased. These results indicate that LP diet-induced increase in pulmonary angiotensin II production depends on pregnancy.


2016 ◽  
Vol 594 (5) ◽  
pp. 1483-1499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia C Vega ◽  
Luis A Reyes-Castro ◽  
Guadalupe L Rodríguez-González ◽  
Claudia J Bautista ◽  
Magaly Vázquez-Martínez ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 97 (4) ◽  
pp. 627-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haijun Gao ◽  
Eric Ho ◽  
Meena Balakrishnan ◽  
Vijay Yechoor ◽  
Chandra Yallampalli

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