Related Experiment Videos
Fetal programming of cardiovascular function through exposure to maternal undernutrition
1Nutritional Biochemistry, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK. simon.langley-evans@nottingham.ac.uk
The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
|June 19, 2002
Summary
Maternal nutrition during pregnancy can impact offspring cardiovascular health, potentially programming future hypertension. Animal studies show low-protein diets lead to fetal growth issues and adult high blood pressure in offspring.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Nutritional Science
- Cardiovascular Physiology
Background:
- Epidemiological studies suggest prenatal dietary factors influence adult cardiovascular disease risk.
- Low birth weight and disproportionate birth size are linked to increased later-life disease.
- Maternal nutrition is hypothesized as a key factor in fetal programming of non-communicable diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of maternal nutrition on fetal development and cardiovascular programming.
- To explore the mechanisms underlying prenatal nutritional programming of hypertension.
- To validate the nutritional programming concept using experimental animal models.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a rat model of pregnancy with low-protein diets.
- Assessed fetal growth and birth dimensions.
- Examined metabolic, physiological disturbances, and blood pressure in offspring.
Main Results:
- Low-protein diets during rat pregnancy caused fetal growth perturbations and altered birth dimensions.
- Offspring exhibited metabolic and physiological disturbances.
- Offspring consistently developed high blood pressure from early postnatal life.
Conclusions:
- Maternal low-protein diet during pregnancy programs offspring for hypertension.
- Fetal exposure to glucocorticoids is implicated in the programming mechanism.
- The fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and renin-angiotensin system may mediate programming effects, leading to increased vascular resistance and hypertension.