Intrauterine food restriction as a determinant of nephrosclerosis

We previously showed that 8-month-old rats subjected to a 50% intrauterine food restriction had a decreased number of nephrons with increased glomerul ar diameter, which suggests compensatory hypertrophy, Hypertrophy could be the early event of glomerular damage. In this study, we extended our invest igation and performed functional, morphological, and immunohistochemical ev aluations in 3- and 18-month-old rats that underwent a 50% intrauterine foo d restriction (RT3 and RT18, respectively) and age-matched control rats (C3 and C18, respectively). Our findings showed that glomerular filtration rat e was significant decreased in RT18 rats (2.42 +/- 0.15 mL/min/kg; n = 28; P < 0.05) compared with C18 control rats (4.19 +/- 0.10 ml/min/kg; P < 0.05 ) and the percentage of glomeruli with sclerosis was greater in RT18 rats ( 13.01% +/- 2.95%; n = 9; P < 0.01) than in C18 rats (2.71% +/- 0.35%; n = 6 ), RT18 rats also showed more intense tubulointerstitial lesions and immuno histochemical alterations in the renal cortex. Immunohistochemical studies showed increased fibronectin and desmin expression in glomeruli and tubuloi nterstitium and increased vimentin and Lu-smooth muscle actin in the tubulo interstitial area from the renal cortex of RT18 rats (P < 0.05), Desmin was also increased at the edge of glomeruli from RT18 rats, suggesting podocyt e injury. Our data show that when food restriction is imposed during pregna ncy, permanent damage occurs in the kidney of the offspring. Glomerular les ions were more severe than the tubulointerstitial damage in these animals. (C) 2001 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc.