[Blood pressure salt sensitivity in male offspring rats is programmed by perinatal high-salt diet].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the gender differences in perinatal high-salt diet programming of blood pressure and salt sensitivity in offspring Sprague-Dawley rats and explore the mechanisms.


METHODS
The rats were fed with high-salt diet (8% NaCl) or normal salt diet (1% NaCl) during the perinatal period. Body weight changes were monitored, and blood pressure and heart rate were measured by non-invasive tail-cuff methods in both male and female offspring rats. The components of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in both the serum and brain tissue, and hormones related with stress reaction were detected using radioimmunology methods.


RESULTS
Perinatal high-salt diet did not affect adolescent blood pressure in both genders, but significantly increased salt sensitivity in male offspring rats. Perinatal high-salt diet also increased serum angiotensin II (ANG II) while decreased corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and cortisol in male offsprings, as compared with the normal salt diet group. No similar results were found in the female offspring rats.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a significant gender difference in perinatal high-salt diet programming of offspring blood pressure salt sensitivity, and the mechanisms may involve the disturbance of the RAAS function and stress reaction.
Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi'an, China. lubo@mail.xjtu.edu.cn
Bo
B
Lu
Jian-qun
JQ
Yan
Jian
J
Liu
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012982:Sodium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*
D012982:Sodium, Dietary