Sleep restriction during pregnancy: hypertension and renal abnormalities in young offspring rats.
OBJECTIVE
Because the maternal environment can affect several physiological functions of the newborn, the aim of the present study was to examine the impact of sleep restriction during pregnancy on renal morphology and function in young offspring.


METHODS
Female 3-month-old Wistar rats were divided in 2 experimental groups: C (control) and SR (sleep restriction between the 14th and 20th day of pregnancy). Pregnancy was confirmed by vaginal smear. SR females were subjected to sleep restriction by the multiple platform technique for 20 h daily. After birth, only male litters (6 for each mother) were selected and designated OC (offspring from C) and OSR (offspring from SR). At 2 months of age, blood pressure (BP) was measured by tail plethysmography; at 3 months the renal plasma flow (RPF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), glomerular area, and number of glomeruli per mm3 were evaluated.


RESULTS
Offspring from SR had higher systolic blood pressure than OC. In this group (OSR), we also observed significant increase in RPF and GFR, enlarged glomeruli diameter, and reduced number of glomeruli per mm3 of renal tissue.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that sleep restriction during pregnancy is able to modify renal development, resulting in morphologic and functional alterations in young offspring.
Department of Physiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Janaina Thais
JT
Thomal
Beatriz Duarte
BD
Palma
Beatriz Felice
BF
Ponzio
Maria do Carmo Pinho
Mdo C
Franco
Frida
F
Zaladek-Gil
Zuleica Bruno
ZB
Fortes
Sergio
S
Tufik
Guiomar Nascimento
GN
Gomes
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009929:Organ Size; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000150:complications*