Chronic hypoxia in pregnancy affected vascular tone of renal interlobar arteries in the offspring.

Hypoxia during pregnancy could affect development of fetuses as well as cardiovascular systems in the offspring. This study was the first to demonstrate the influence and related mechanisms of prenatal hypoxia (PH) on renal interlobar arteries (RIA) in the 5-month-old male rat offspring. Following chronic hypoxia during pregnancy, phenylephrine induced significantly higher pressor responses and greater vasoconstrictions in the offspring.

Maternal high-salt diets affected pressor responses and microvasoconstriction via PKC/BK channel signaling pathways in rat offspring.

Scope: High-salt (HS) intake is linked to hypertension, and prenatal exposure to maternal HS diets may have long-term impact on cardiovascular systems. The relationship between HS diets and cardiovascular disease has received extensive attention. This study determined pressor responses and microvessel functions in the adult offspring rats exposed to prenatal HS.

Exposure to nicotine during pregnancy and altered learning and memory in the rat offspring.

Introduction: Prenatal exposure to nicotine can cause many fetal developmental problems. This study determined the influence of nicotine during pregnancy on the development of cognitive behavior in the offspring.

Methods: Nicotine was administered to pregnant rats through implanted osmotic mini-pumps at 6mg/kg/day and flow rate of 60 μl/day for whole pregnancy from gestational day 4.

Hippocampal apoptosis involved in learning deficits in the offspring exposed to maternal high sucrose diets.

The hippocampus plays a crucial role in learning and memory, and neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampus contributes to learning deficits. Metabolism problems in pregnancy related to excessive fuel consumption (e.g.

High-sucrose diets in pregnancy alter angiotensin II-mediated pressor response and microvessel tone via the PKC/Cav1.2 pathway in rat offspring.

This study determines the influence of a prenatal high-sucrose (HS) diet on angiotensin II (Ang II)-mediated pressor response and determine the underlying mechanism. Pregnant rats were provided with a 20% sucrose solution diet throughout gestation. Blood pressure and vascular response to Ang II were measured in 5-month-old adult offspring.

Angiotensin II-mediated vascular changes in aged offspring rats exposed to perinatal nicotine.

This study determined the long-term influence of prenatal nicotine exposure (PN) on blood pressure and vascular functions in the aged offspring rats. PN did not affect body weight and plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone level; however, it significantly reduced plasma angiotensin I and angiotensin II in both sexes. Systolic pressure in the male aged PN offspring was significantly higher.