Increased blood pressure in the offspring of diabetic mothers

Studies were conducted in rats to determine the effect of maternal diabetes and the consequent hyperglycemia on cardiovascular function in the offspring. Diabetes was induced in pregnant Wistar rats through streptozotocin injection ( 50 mg/kg). Cardiovascular parameters were measured in 2-mo-old offspring animals of diabetic ( OD, n = 12) and control rats (OC, n = 8). Arterial pressure (AP), heart rate (HR), baroreflex sensitivity, and vascular responsiveness to phenylephrine (PH) and sodium nitroprusside (SN) were measured. Angiotensin-converting enzyme ( ACE) activity in heart, kidney, and lung was determined. OD rats exhibited increases in systolic AP ( 138 +/- 8 vs. 119 +/- 6 mmHg, OD vs. OC), with no change in HR ( 342 +/- 21 vs. 364 +/- 39 beats per minute (bpm), OD vs. OC). the reflex tachycardia elicited by SN was reduced in OD rats, as indicated by the slope of the linear regression ( - 2.2 +/- 0.4 vs. - 3.6 +/- 0.8 bpm/mmHg, OD vs. OC). Vascular responsiveness to PH was increased 63% in OD rats compared with OC. OD rats showed increases in ACE activity in heart, kidney, and lung (1.13 +/- 0.24, 3.04 +/- 0.86, 40.8 +/- 8.9 vs. 0.73 +/- 0.19, 1.7 +/- 0.45, 28.1 +/- 6 nmol His-Leu center dot min(-1) mg protein(-1), OD vs. OC). Results suggest that diabetes during pregnancy affects cardiovascular function in offspring, seen as hypertension, baroreflex dysfunction, and activation of tissue renin-angiotensin system.Univ São Paulo, Sch Med, Hypertens Unit, BR-05403000 São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Sch Med, Inst Heart INCOR, BR-05403000 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, Dept Nephrol, São Paulo, BrazilWright State Univ, Sch Med, Dept Pharmacol & Toxicol, Dayton, OH USAUniv São Paulo, Dept Anat, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, Dept Nephrol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc