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Updated: Sep 4, 2025
Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Published on: June 29, 2013
Postnatal persistence of nonhuman primate sex-dependent renal structural and molecular changes programmed by
Andrew C Bishop1, Kimberly D Spradling-Reeves1, Robert E Shade2
1Center for Precision Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Background:
Poor nutrition during fetal development programs postnatal kidney function. Understanding postnatal consequences in nonhuman primates (NHP) is important for translation to our understanding the impact on human kidney function and disease risk. We hypothesized that intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in NHP persists postnatally, with potential molecular mechanisms revealed by Western-type diet challenge.
Methods:
IUGR juvenile baboons were fed a 7-week Western diet, with kidney biopsies, blood, and urine collected before and after challenge. Transcriptomics and metabolomics were used to analyze biosamples.
Results:
Pre-challenge IUGR kidney transcriptome and urine metabolome differed from controls. Post-challenge, sex and diet-specific responses in urine metabolite and renal signaling pathways were observed. Dysregulated mTOR signaling persisted postnatally in female pre-challenge. Post-challenge IUGR male response showed uncoordinated signaling suggesting proximal tubule injury.
Conclusion:
Fetal undernutrition impacts juvenile offspring kidneys at the molecular level suggesting early-onset blood pressure dysregulation.
