Observations have been made regarding the effects of long-term exercise training on blood pressure, renal sodium handling and renal renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAS) intracellular pathways in conscious, trained Okamoto-Aoki spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar Kyoto (WKy) normotensive rats, compared with appropriate agematched sedentary SHR and WKy. To evaluate the influence of exercise training on renal function and RAS, receptors and intracellular angiotensin II (AngII) pathway compounds were used respectively, and lithium clearance and western blot methods were utilised. The current study demonstrated that increased blood pressure in SHR was blunted and significantly reduced by long-term swim training between the ages of 6 and 16 weeks. Additionally, the investigators observed an increased fractional urinary sodium excretion in trained SHR (SHR T ) rats, compared with sedentary SHR (SHR S ), despite a significantly decreased creatinine clearance (C Cr ). Furthermore, immunoblotting analysis demonstrated a decreased expression of AT1 R in the entire kidney of T SHR rats, compared with S SHR . Conversely, the expression of the AT2 R , in both sedentary and trained SHR, was unchanged. The present study may indicate that, in the kidney, long-term exercise exerts a modulating effect on AngII receptor expression. In fact, the present study indicates an association of increasing natriuresis, reciprocal changes in renal AngII receptors and intracellular pathway proteins with the fall in blood pressure levels observed in T SHR rats compared with age-matched S SHR rats.

Introduction: Fetal programming by different insults results in low birth weight and reduction in nephron number increasing the risk for adult development of cardiovascular and renal diseases. Maternal smoking is an important modifiable adverse fetal exposure worldwide and leads to a decrease in the offspring's birth weight. Thus far, the specific adverse fetal smoking exposures and mechanisms underlying these associations on renal development and functional disorder are unclear. Methods: The present study investigates, in adult male rats, the effect of smoking exposure (Sk) in uteri on blood pressure (BP) by an indirect tail-cuff method using an electrosphygmomanometer, and its association with nephron structure by stereological estimation, immunohistochemical and histological techniques, in parallel with kidney function creatinine and lithium clearance. Results: The current study showed in a 16-week old Sk offspring enhanced arterial blood pressure associated with, reduced urinary sodium excretion and higher TGF-β1 glomerular expression. Sk glomeruli also presented an upregulated collagen and fibronectin deposition intrinsically related to fibrotic process as compared to age-matched control group. Conclusion: Here, we demonstrate that fetal-programmed Sk offspring present pronounced glomerular TGF-β1 and fibrotic marker expression that may, subsequently, promote a glomerular epithelial-mesenchymal transition activated process in an Sk offspring. Although the precise mechanism responsible for the subsequently renal morphological and functional response in Sk offspring is incompletely known, the current data suggest that changes in renal function are conducive to excess sodium tubule reabsorption that is associated with enhanced TGF-β1, fibronectin and collagen deposition, intrinsically related to fibrotic process, might potentiate the programming of adult hypertension.

Objective: The current study considers changes of the postnatal brainstem cell number and angiotensin receptors by maternal protein restriction (LP) and LP taurine supplementation (LPT), and its impact on arterial hypertension development in adult life. Methods and results: The brain tissue studies were performed by immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry, and isotropic fractionator analysis. The current study shows that elevated blood pressure associated with decreased fractional urinary sodium excretion (FE Na ) in adult LP offspring was reverted by diet taurine supplementation. Also, that 12-day-old LP pups present a reduction of 21% of brainstem neuron counts, and, immunohistochemistry demonstrates a decreased expression of type 1 angiotensin II receptors (AT 1 R) in the entire medial solitary tract nuclei (nTS) of 16-week-old LP rats compared to age-matched NP and LPT offspring. Conversely, the immunostained type 2 AngII (AT 2 R) receptors in 16-week-old LP nTS were unchanged. Conclusion:The present investigation shows a decreased FE Na that occurs despite unchanged creatinine clearance. It is plausible to hypothesize an association of decreased postnatal nTS cell number, AT 1 R/AT 2 R ratio and FE Na with the higher blood pressure levels found in taurine-deficient progeny (LP) compared with age-matched NP and LPT offspring.