title: Lipopolysaccharide exposure during pregnancy leads to aortic dysfunction in offspring rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prenatal exposure to Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) produces hypertension in adult offspring rats. The present study was to explore the effects of prenatal inflammation on morphological and functional changes in the aorta from offspring rats and to further assess its susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pregnant rats were treated intraperitoneally on gestation Days 8, 10 and 12 with saline, LPS (0.79 mg/kg), or pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC, 100 mg/kg)+LPS, respectively. Aortic ring reactivity and histopathological alteration were analyzed in offspring at the age of 12 weeks. The detections of connexin (Cx) 37, Cx40, Cx43, and Cx45, including immunofluorescent patterns, protein levels and mRNA expression in the aorta, were performed as well. Furthermore, the expressions of Nuclear factor (NF)-κB (p65), IκBα, phospho-IκBα and IκBβ were determined. The results showed that prenatal LPS exposure leads to morphological abnormalities and impaired aortic reactivity in offspring. Prenatal LPS exposure also decreased the protein and mRNA expression of Cx37 in the aorta from offspring rats. NF-κB and phospho-IκBα levels were both increased, IκBα level, however, was decreased in the aorta of offspring from the maternal LPS exposure compared to the controls. Simultaneously, PDTC treatment markedly reversed the action of LPS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decreased expression of Cx37 contributed to the aortic dysfunction of prenatal LPS exposure offspring, which should be associated with NF-κB activation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materia Medica and Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PR China.
authors.forename: Shanyu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PR China.
authors.forename: Haigang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materia Medica and Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PR China.
authors.forename: Dayan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materia Medica and Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PR China.
authors.forename: Ya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materia Medica and Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D017630:Connexins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D017630:Connexins; C083487:I kappa B beta protein; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B