Maternal food restriction in the second half of pregnancy affects vascularfunction but not blood pressure of rat female offspring

Food restriction during pregnancy in rats induces intrauterine growth retar dation with consequences persisting into adulthood. In the present study we have investigated the hypothesis that malnutrition in pregnant rats may le ad to altered cardiovascular function in adult female offspring. Perinatal growth retardation was induced by a 50 % reduction of normal dietary intake in rats during the second half of pregnancy. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure values and heart rate were recorded in conscious female offspring (100 d old) using a femoral artery probe. No significant differences in hea rt rate, or in systolic and diastolic blood pressures were recorded between control offspring and offspring of nutritionally deprived rats. In order t o ascertain whether cardiovascular variables in the offspring were influenc ed by lactation, subgroups of offspring from food-restricted dams were fost ered with lactating dams fed on a normal diet. Blood pressure and heart rat e were also found to be normal in these offspring. The rise in blood pressu re associated with NO inhibition was similar in all groups. Isolated resist ance artery function was assessed in vitro in offspring (100-120 d old) of a second group of semistarved dams. Small mesenteric arteries from these an imals showed reduced endothelium-dependent relaxation (to acetylcholine and bradykinin), but enhanced sensitivity to exogenous NO (sodium nitroprussid e). We conclude that food restriction during the second half of pregnancy a nd/or lactation does not induce hypertension in adult offspring, but may ef fect subtle changes in vascular function.