title: [Effect of maternal lipopolysaccharides exposure during pregnancy on vascular structure in neonatal offspring rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the role of prenatal exposure to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on aortic morphology in the neonatal offspring rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve pregnant rats were randomly divided into three groups: control group, LPS group, and PDTC (pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate, LPS+PDTC) group. The rats were intraperitoneally administered vehicle, LPS (0.79 mg/kg) , or LPS plus PDTC (100 mg/kg) , respectively. LPS was given on the 8th, 10th and 12th days, whereas vehicle and PDTC were given daily from the 8th to the 14th day during gestation. Histopathological alteration of the thoracic aorta was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy, thoracic aortic mRNA and protein expression of connexin (Cx) molecules including Cx37, Cx40, Cx43 and Cx45 in offspring was detected by Real Time PCR and confocal laser-scanning microscope, respectively, offspring body weight was measure at day 1 and week 1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Body weight at 1 day and 1 week-old offspring was significantly lower in LPS group than in control group (P < 0.01), which were significantly higher in PDTC group compared to LPS group (P < 0.01): [1 day: control group (7.425 ± 0.146) g, LPS group (6.742 ± 0.128) g, PDTC group (7.137 ± 0.141) g; 1 week: control group (20.173 ± 3.982) g, LPS group (13.264 ± 2.581) g, PDTC group (17.863 ± 3.412) g]. In 1 week-old offspring of LPS group, the thoracic aortas exhibited lesions, including impaired endothelial cells, thickening and fibrous changes of intimae, and migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells; the number of gap junction was decreased versus control group and pathological changes were similar between PDTC group and LPS group. Cx43 protein expression in LPS group was obviously lower than in control group and which could be partly reversed in PDTC group. Expression of Cx43 mRNA was significantly lower in 1 day and 1 week offspring of LPS group compared to control group (P < 0.05), which could be reversed in PDTC group (P < 0.05) (1 day: control group 1.530 ± 0.296, LPS group 1.226 ± 0.209, PDTC group 1.619 ± 0.324; 1 week: control group 9.357 ± 1.917, LPS group 7.204 ± 1.165, PDTC group 9.271 ± 1.514).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that maternal LPS exposure during pregnancy leads to vascular changes in neonatal offspring which might increase the susceptibility to adult hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Shanyu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Ya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China. Email: lpsh008@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity*; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D018031:Connexin 43; C580592:Gja1 protein, rat; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides