title: Prenatal stress changes rat arterial adrenergic reactivity in a regionally selective manner.
abstract: A suboptimal fetal environment has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood. We investigated whether intrauterine stress (IUS) alters the development of adrenergic reactivity in different types of rat arteries. Intrauterine stress was induced by ligation of the uterine arteries at day 13 of pregnancy in Wistar rats. First-order mesenteric, renal, femoral and saphenous arteries of the 21-day-old male offspring were studied in a myograph. IUS in the rat changes arterial adrenergic reactivity in a regionally selective manner. Adrenoceptor-mediated responses are altered in the renal artery. Maximal contractile responses to phenylephrine were increased, while sensitivity to the alpha(1)-adrenoceptor agonist was decreased. Intrauterine stress significantly reduced contractile responses to norepinephrine and enhanced relaxing responses to isoproterenol in the renal artery. Adrenergic responses were not modified in mesenteric, femoral and saphenous arteries. In the kidneys the densities of [(3)H]prazosin binding sites, periarterial adrenergic nerves and of the glomeruli were not altered after intrauterine stress at day 13 of gestation. The observed regionally selective alterations in arterial reactivity might link a suboptimal fetal environment to the development of cardiovascular disease in the adult.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, University of Maastricht, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marijke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Gregorio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fazzi
authors.forename: Ger
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Mey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology; D008024:Ligands; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1 / Q000187:drug effects; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D008024:Ligands; D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D014665:Vasodilator Agents