The Na -ATPase, a secondary pump in the proximal tubule, is only weakly responsive to angiotensin II in adult offspring exposed perinatally to high Na intake. We have investigated whether the offspring from mothers given 0.3 mol/L NaCl show an ineffective angiotensin II action to increase in blood pressure. It was hypothesized that functional alterations at adult life are associated with the number of angiotensin II-positive cells in the developing kidney, with increased oxidative stress in maternal/foetal organs, or with morphometrical changes in placentas. Wistar female rats were maintained on 0.3 mol/L NaCl in their drinking water from 20 days before conception until weaning. After weaning, some of the male offspring were treated with enalapril for 21 days. Glomerular filtration rate was recorded up to 210 days of age, when mean arterial pressure was measured after infusion of angiotensin II. To investigate the placenta and foetal kidneys, mothers on tap water or NaCl were also treated with alpha-tocopherol, pregnancy being interrupted on the 20th day. There were no changes in the number of cells positive for angiotensin II in the foetal kidney and unchanged lipid peroxidation in the placenta of offspring exposed to NaCl, but the intermediate trophoblast area in the junctional zone was increased, possibly reducing maternal-foetal exchange. Glomerular filtration rate was reduced and there was an attenuated effect of angiotensin II on elevation of blood pressure, which could be mediated by an elevated angiotensin II during early life, once these disturbances had been prevented by early and short-term treatment with enalapril.

ABSTRACT. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of a nutritional formulation based on amino acids and vitamins supplemented in the drinking water for chicks in the first week of life subjected to thermal oscillation on performance, organ development and intestinal morphometry from 1 to 21 days. 640-male broiler chicks were distributed in a 2x2 factorial completely randomized design (with or without dietary supplementation and at comfort temperature or thermal oscillation). Chicks subjected to thermal oscillation presented worse performance (p < 0.05) than those under thermal comfort of 1 to 7, 1 to 14 and 1 to 21 days. Nutritional supplementation did not alter the performance (p < 0.05) of the birds, but resulted in a higher body weight (p < 0.05) regardless of the environmental thermal condition. At 7 days, chicks under thermal comfort had better intestinal morphometric parameters (p < 0.05), in relation to birds under thermal oscillation. In conclusion, the temperature oscillations caused negative consequences to the productive performance and the intestinal morphology of chicks for which dietary supplementation was not enough to mitigate the effects of the environmental challenge during the first week of life of the birds.Keywords: broilers, weight gain, intestinal mucosa, ambient temperature, post-hatching.Efeito de suplemento nutritivo oral em pintainhos submetidos à oscilação térmica sobre o desempenho e a morfometria intestinal RESUMO. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a eficácia de uma formulação nutricional à base de aminoácidos e vitaminas suplementadas na água de bebida de pintainhos na primeira semana de vida, submetidos à oscilação térmica sobre o desempenho produtivo, desenvolvimento de órgãos e morfometria intestinal de um a 21 dias. Foram utilizados 640 pintos de corte machos, distribuídos em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 2x2 (com suplementação nutritiva oral ou não e em temperatura de conforto ou oscilação térmica). As aves submetidas à oscilação térmica apresentaram pior desempenho (p < 0,05) em relação às aves do grupo conforto térmico de um a sete, um a 14 e um a 21 dias. A suplementação nutritiva não alterou o desempenho (p < 0,05) das aves, mas resultou em maior peso dos órgãos (p < 0,05) independentemente da condição térmica ambiental. Aos sete dias, as aves em conforto térmico apresentaram melhores parâmetros morfométricos intestinais (p < 0,05), em relação às aves submetidas à oscilação térmica. Em conclusão, as oscilações de temperatura ocasionaram consequências negativas ao desempenho produtivo e à morfologia intestinal das aves na qual a suplementação nutritiva não foi suficiente para amenizar os efeitos do desafio ambiental na primeira semana de vida das aves.Palavras-chave: frangos de corte, ganho de peso, mucosa intestinal, temperatura ambiente, pós-eclosão.

Sodium overload during pregnancy compromises the renal function of offspring at adult life. In this work we investigated whether maternal sodium overload affects placental lipid peroxidation and type‐1 VEGF receptor (VEGFR‐1) in the placenta. Pregnant Wistar rats were maintained with sodium chloride 1.8%, instead drinking water, from 20 days before pregnancy until the 20th day of pregnancy. Part of them was treated with α‐tocopherol or tempol from the 1st day of pregnancy. Maternal sodium overload did not change the placental or hepatic fetal lipid peroxidation; however it decreased the expression of VEGFR‐1 in placental labyrinth. Treatment with α‐tocopherol or tempol prevented sodium overload‐induced reduction in placental expression of VEGFR‐1. Different from tempol, α‐tocopherol effect was accompanied by reduction of lipid peroxidation in maternal placenta and fetal liver. These findings indicate that intrauterine programmed renal dysfunction produced by sodium overload might be due to compromised placental angiogenesis that is not correlated to placental lipid peroxidation. CAPES, CNPq and FACEPE.