Sleep restriction during pregnancy and its effects on blood pressure and renal function among female offspring

The influence of sleep restriction (SR) during pregnancy on blood pressure and renal function among female adult offspring was investigated. Pregnant Wistar rats were distributed into control and SR groups. The SR was performed between the 14th and 20th days of pregnancy (multiple platforms method for 20 h/day). At 2 months of age, half of the offspring from both groups were subjected to an ovariectomy (ovx), and the other half underwent sham surgery. The groups were as follows: control sham (C_sham), control ovx (C_ovx), SR sham (SR_sham), and SR ovx (SR_ovx). Renal function markers and systolic blood pressure (BPi, indirect method) were evaluated at 4, 6, and 8 months. Subsequently, the rats were euthanized, kidneys were removed, and processed for morphological analyses of glomerular area (GA), number of glomeruli per mm³ (NG), and kidney mass (KM). Increased BPi was observed in the C_ovx, SR_sham, and SR_ovx groups compared to C_sham at all ages. Increased plasma creatinine concentration and decreased creatinine clearance were observed in the SR_sham and SR_ovx groups compared to the C_sham and C_ovx groups. The SR_ovx group showed higher BPi and reduced creatinine clearance compared to all other groups. The SR_ovx group showed reduced values of GA and KM, as well as increased NG, macrophage infiltration, collagen deposit, and ACE1 expression at the renal cortex. Therefore, SR during pregnancy might be an additional risk factor for developing renal dysfunction and increasing BP in female adult offspring. The absence of female hormones exacerbates the changes caused by SR.