title: Effect of maternal excessive sodium intake on postnatal brain development in rat offspring.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Postnatal brain development is affected by the in utero environment. Modern people usually have a high sodium intake. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of sodium hyperingestion during pregnancy on the postnatal brain development of rat offspring.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sodium-overloaded rats received 1.8% NaCl in their drinking water for 7 days during the last week of gestation. Their body weight, urine, and blood levels of sodium and other parameters were measured. Some rats were sacrificed at pregnancy day 22 and the weight and length of the placenta and foetus were measured. The cerebral cortex and hippocampus were obtained from their offspring at postnatal day 1 and at postnatal weeks 1, 2, 4, and 8. Western blot analyses were conducted with brain tissue lysates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sodium-overloaded animals had decreased weight gain in the last week of gestation as well as decreased food intake, increased water intake, urine volume, urine sodium, and serum sodium. There were no differences in placental weight and length. The foetuses of sodium-overloaded rats showed decreased body weight and size, and this difference was maintained postnatally for 2 weeks. In the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the offspring, the protein levels of myelin basic protein, calmodulin/calcium-dependent protein kinase II, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor were decreased or aberrantly expressed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present data suggest that increased sodium intake during pregnancy affects the brain development of the offspring.
authors.forename: Jung-a
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Young-mo
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Hye-ah
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyesook
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Young-ju
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hwa-young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D004326:Drinking / Q000187:drug effects; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012964:Sodium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D011494:Protein Kinases; D012964:Sodium; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases
keywords: Brain; Development; Pregnancy; Rat; Sodium