Maternal vitamin D deficiency leads to cardiac hypertrophy in rat offspring

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Vitamin D is crucial for numerous physiological processes, including cardiovascular health.
• Maternal nutrition during pregnancy significantly influences fetal development.
• The impact of early-life vitamin D deficiency on cardiac development requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of maternal vitamin D deficiency from conception to 4 weeks postpartum on rat offspring cardiac development.
• To assess the impact on cardiomyocyte number, size, and differentiation.

Main Methods:

• Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to vitamin D-deplete or replete diets pre-pregnancy, during gestation, and lactation.
• Stereological techniques (optical disector/fractionator) were used to quantify cardiomyocyte number and size in offspring hearts at postnatal day 3 and 4 weeks.
• Cardiomyocytes were isolated to determine the proportion of mononucleated and binucleated cells.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in cardiomyocyte number, size, or proportion of mononucleated/binucleated cells were observed at postnatal day 3.
• By 4 weeks of age, vitamin D deficiency resulted in increased left ventricle volume.
• This increase was associated with a higher cardiomyocyte number, larger cardiomyocyte size, and a greater proportion of mononucleated cardiomyocytes.

Conclusions:

• Maternal vitamin D deficiency during gestation and early life leads to delayed cardiomyocyte maturation in rat offspring.
• This delay is followed by compensatory enhanced growth (proliferation and hypertrophy) of left ventricle cardiomyocytes.
• These developmental alterations may predispose offspring to altered cardiac function later in life.