title: When early life growth restriction in rats is followed by attenuated postnatal growth: effects on cardiac function in adulthood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epidemiological and experimental studies demonstrate that intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) followed by accelerated postnatal growth leads to increased risk of developing cardiac disease in adulthood. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of early life growth restriction on cardiac structure and function in young adult rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  IUGR was induced in Wistar Kyoto dams through administration of a low protein diet (LPD; 8.7% casein) during pregnancy and lactation; controls received a normal protein diet (NPD; 20% casein). Cardiac function and structure were assessed in female NPD (n = 7) and LPD (n = 7) offspring at 18 weeks of age by echocardiography and pressure-volume techniques, and systolic blood pressure by tail-cuff sphygmomanometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LPD offspring remained significantly smaller throughout life compared to controls. There were no differences in the levels of systolic blood pressure, left ventricular cardiac dimensions, heart rate, ejection fraction and fractional shortening of the cardiac muscle between the investigated groups. Aortic peak systolic velocity was significantly reduced in the LPD group (P = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings support the idea that the programming of adult cardiovascular disease can be prevented or delayed in IUGR offspring when postnatal growth trajectory resembles that of in utero.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Wellington Rd, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia, vladislava.zohdi@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Vladislava
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zohdi
authors.forename: James T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.forename: Michelle M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kett
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lombardo
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: M Jane
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Black
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D018753:Diet, Protein-Restricted / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007774:Lactation; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY