title: Effect of exercise on the maternal outcome in pregnancy of spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of exercise (swimming) on pregnancy in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty three pregnant female SHR were distributed into three groups (n=11 animals/group): SHR Control=non-exercised (sedentary); SHR Ex0 = exercised from day zero to day 20 of pregnancy; and SHR Ex7 = exercised from day 7 to 20 of pregnancy. Body weight and systolic blood pressure were indirectly measured during pregnancy. On gestational day 21, the rats were anaesthetized and uterine content was withdrawn for analysis of maternal reproductive outcome parameters and fetal development.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The reduced blood pressure percentage was higher in SHR Ex0 and SHR Ex7 compared to SHR Control group. Weight gain was present in all pregnancy periods, but it was lower in SHR Ex7 than in SHR Control dams. The exercise increased the pre-implantation loss rate. The post-implantation loss rate was lower in SHR Ex0 group. SHR Ex7 group showed a significantly higher percentage of fetuses classified as small for gestational age as compared to others groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The exercise contributed to lowering gestational blood pressure in SHR rats, but had a negative impact on the developing embryo.
authors.affiliation: Botucatu Medical School, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Botucatu Medical School, State University of Sao Paulo, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Peraçoli
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, University Center of Araguaia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo Tadeu
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Volpato
authors.affiliation: Botucatu Medical School, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Débora Cristina
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Damasceno
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, University Center of Araguaia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Kleber Eduardo de
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Campos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology