title: Prenatal hypoxia in rats increased blood pressure and sympathetic drive of the adult offspring.
abstract: Decreased oxygenation during pregnancy and early periods of ontogeny can affect normal body development and result in diseases in adulthood. The aim of this study was to use the model of prenatal intermittent hypoxia (PIH) and evaluate the effects of short-term hypoxia at the end of gestation on blood pressure (BP) control in adulthood. Wistar rats were exposed daily to PIH for 4 h during gestational day 19 and 20. In adult male rats, heart rate (HR), systolic BP and pulse pressure (PP) were acquired by radiotelemetry during 1 week. On the basis of HR variability and BP variability, sympathovagal balance (LF/HF) and spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (sBRS) were evaluated. Systolic BP and PP were significantly elevated in PIH rats in comparison with control rats during the light and dark phase of the day, while LF/HF increased only during the light phase of the day. In contrast, sBRS tended to decrease only during the dark phase in PIH rats. In all measured and calculated parameters, significant circadian rhythms were present and were not affected by PIH. In conclusion, our data suggest that short intermittent hypoxia at the end of gestation can increase BP and PP via significant changes in LF/HF, which occur especially during the passive phase of the day. Results suggest that minor changes in the autonomous nervous system activity induced by environmental conditions during the perinatal period may contribute to development of hypertension in adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Svitok
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Lubos
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Molcan
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stebelova
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vesela
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sedlackova
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Eduard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ujhazy
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Mojmir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mach
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zeman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005311:Fetal Hypoxia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar