Maternal dyslipidemia during pregnancy and lactation increases blood pressure and disrupts cardiorespiratory and glucose hemostasis in female rat offspring

Abstract

Hypertension and metabolic disorders evidenced in adults who have been exposed to nutritional insults during early life may be sex-dependent. We evaluated if blood pressure (BP), cardiorespiratory control, and metabolic parameters are affected in female offspring (FO) from dams fed a dyslipidaemic diet during pregnancy and lactation. FO was obtained from dams who received control (CTL) or dyslipidaemic diets during pregnancy and lactation. The effects of a maternal dyslipidaemic diet on BP, cardiorespiratory control, and biochemical parameters were assessed at 30 and 90 days of age. The experimental protocol based on a dyslipidaemic diet intervention was effective in developing maternal dyslipidemia. At 30 days of age, the FO from dyslipidaemic dams displayed disordered respiratory pattern, enhanced ventilatory response to hypercapnia (P < 0.05), and increased serum levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides (P < 0.05) when compared with CTL female offspring. At 90 days of age, FO from dyslipidaemic dams had augmented BP (P < 0.05), exacerbated cardiorespiratory responses to hypercapnia (P < 0.05), enhanced pressor responses to peripheral chemoreflex activation (P < 0.05), impaired baroreflex (P < 0.05), and larger delta variations in arterial pressure after ganglionic blockade (P < 0.05). Furthermore, during oral glucose and insulin tolerance tests, FO from dyslipidaemic dams exhibited altered glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity (P < 0.05) when compared with FO from CTL dams. Altered breathing linked to enhanced central and peripheral chemosensitivity, impaired baroreflex, and augmented sympathetic tone may be predisposing factors for increased BP and metabolic disorders in female offspring from dyslipidaemic dams.

Maternal dyslipidemia during early pregnancy and epigenetic ageing of the placenta

“…Cumulative evidence showed that lipogenesis pathways are strongly related to metabolic morbidities, and offspring of high-risk pregnant women are subject to a higher risk of abnormal birth outcomes and atherosclerosis in adulthood [32,46,47]. Although the implication of pre-pregnancy dyslipidemia and lipid metabolism in pregnancy is well established in animal and human studies [3,48,49], there are no pregnancyspecific diagnostic criteria for dyslipidemia. A recent study observed that NCEP III used in V Brazilian Directive guidelines predicted fetus abnormality affecting pregnant women better than the percentiles approach [50].…”

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum WJL administration during pregnancy and lactation improves lipid profile, insulin sensitivity and gut microbiota diversity in dyslipidemic dams and protects male offspring against cardiovascular dysfunction in later life

“…The etiology of arterial hypertension in rats from dams fed a high-fat diet during pregnancy and lactation includes complex mechanisms involved in central and peripheral blood pressure control. 3,41 Here, we demonstrated that male offspring of dyslipidaemic dams showed increased blood pressure and endothelial dysfunction. Alterations in gut microbiota also have been found to be an important factor involved in the development of arterial hypertension programmed by maternal high-fat diet consumption, 42 thus, gut microbiota-targeted interventions may represent novel effective therapeutic strategies to protect against programmed arterial hypertension.…”

Metabolic Hormone Profiles in Breast Milk From Mothers of Moderate-Late Preterm Infants Are Associated With Growth From Birth to 4 Months in a Sex-Specific Manner

“…Sex-specific responses in terms of growth outcomes at 4 months' corrected age were also observed in relation to MOM IGF-1 and leptin both during early and late lactation, with male and female infants displaying different growth patterns, and males in particular showing increased growth outcomes when exposed to MOM with more abundant IGF-1 content at 4 months' corrected age. Sex-specific responses in terms of increased risk for cardio-metabolic disorders under different maternal conditions and dietary exposures during lactation (69,70) and in relation to growth trajectories to hormonal exposures through milk during lactation (71) have also been reported in animal models including mice, rats and primates. However, to our knowledge, no previous study has investigated the association between hormonal exposures through lactation and sex-specific responses in humans.…”