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Published on: July 3, 2013
Postnatal renal development of rats from mothers that received increased sodium intake
Ana Paula C Balbi1, Roberto S Costa, Terezila M Coimbra
1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Avenue Dos Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirao Preto, CEP-14049-900, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Insights
Increased maternal sodium intake during pregnancy reduces key proteins and cell proliferation markers in newborn rat kidneys. This may be linked to lower angiotensin II (AII) levels, impacting kidney development.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Developmental Biology
- Perinatal Medicine
Background:
- The newborn rat kidney undergoes significant development post-birth, with angiotensin II (AII) implicated in this process.
- Understanding factors influencing early kidney development is crucial for long-term renal health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of maternal dietary sodium intake on renal expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), fibronectin, alpha-smooth muscle-actin (alpha-SM-actin), and AII in developing rats.
- To analyze the relationship between these markers and AII during postnatal kidney development.
Main Methods:
- Histological and immunohistochemical analysis of Wistar rat kidneys at postnatal days 1, 7, 15, and 30.
- Comparison between offspring of dams with normal (control) and high (experimental) sodium intake during gestation.
- Quantification of PCNA, fibronectin, alpha-SM-actin, and AII expression in glomerular and tubulointerstitial areas.
Main Results:
- Expression of fibronectin, alpha-SM-actin, PCNA, and AII was highest in 1- and 7-day-old rats and decreased with kidney maturation.
- Neonatal rats from the experimental group (high maternal sodium) exhibited significantly lower expression of alpha-SM-actin, fibronectin, PCNA, and AII at day 1 compared to controls.
- Increased maternal sodium intake led to reduced expression of these markers in the renal cortex of neonatal rats.
Conclusions:
- Increased maternal sodium intake during pregnancy reduces the expression of alpha-SM-actin, fibronectin, and PCNA in the neonatal rat renal cortex.
- These observed alterations in protein expression and cell proliferation may be associated with a concurrent decrease in renal AII expression.
- Maternal diet composition can influence early kidney development and molecular profiles in offspring.
Abstract:
The newborn rat kidney is not fully developed until approximately 12 days after birth. Several lines of evidence suggest that angiotensin II (AII) participates in the postnatal development of the kidney. The aim of the present study was to analyze proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), fibronectin, alpha-smooth muscle-actin (alpha-SM-actin), and AII expression in renal cortex during development in rats born to mothers that received a normal (control) or increased (experimental) sodium intake during pregnancy. Ninety Wistar rats aged 1, 7, 15, and 30 days from the control and experimental groups were killed and the kidneys removed for histological and immunohistochemical studies. The results showed higher fibronectin, alpha-SM-actin, PCNA, and AII expression in the glomerular and tubulointerstitial areas of the renal cortex of 1- and 7-day-old animals, which decreased with renal development. The animals from the experimental group showed at 1 day of age a decrease in alpha-SM-actin, fibronectin, PCNA, and AII expression compared with controls of the same age ( P<0.05). In conclusion, our data show that increased sodium intake during pregnancy induces a reduction of alpha-SM-actin, fibronectin, and PCNA expression in the renal cortex tubulointerstitium and glomeruli of neonatal rats. These alterations may be related to the decrease of AII expression also observed in the renal cortex from these animals.
