Maternal low-protein diet induces changes in the cardiovascular autonomic modulation in male rat offspring

• Maternal protein undernutrition induces hypertension in the 90-day-old male offspring.
• Adult rats show larger low-frequency oscillations and sympathetic tone.
• Protein undernutrition perinatal induces sympathetic overactivity in the offspring.
• Autonomic imbalance may contribute to the development of hypertension in this model.

Background and aimsMaternal undernutrition induces development of the arterial hypertension. We investigated the effects of a maternal low-protein diet on cardiovascular autonomic control in the offspring.Methods and resultsMale Wistar rats were divided into two groups according to the diets of their mothers during gestation and lactation: the control (normal protein, NP, 17% casein; n = 14) and low-protein (LP, 8% casein; n = 14) groups. Direct measurements of arterial pressure (AP) were recorded from wakeful 90-day-old male offspring. The LP offspring presented higher mean AP than did the NP rats (NP: 93 ± 4 vs. LP: 113 ± 2 mmHg; p < 0.05), whereas the heart rate (HR) was similar in the two groups. In the spectral analysis, the LP group showed higher power at low (NP: 1.98 ± 0.25 vs. LP: 3.7 ± 0.3 mmHg²; p < 0.05) and high (NP: 1.28 ± 0.18 vs. LP: 2.13 ± 0.42 mmHg²; p < 0.05) frequencies of systolic arterial pressure (SAP). In the pulse interval, the LP group presented an increase in the LF/HF ratio (NP: 0.32 vs. LP: 0.56; p < 0.05). After propranolol (4 mg/kg, intravenous (iv)), the bradycardia was higher in the LP group (NP: −36 ± 8 vs. LP: −94 ± 12 bpm; p < 0.05), after methylatropine (2 mg/kg, iv), the tachycardia was similar to NP group. After administration of the ganglionic blocker (hexamethonium; 25 mg/kg, iv), the LP animals showed larger delta variation in the AP (NP: −33.7 ± 5 vs. LP: −53.6 ± 4 mmHg; p < 0.05).ConclusionThe rats subjected to protein malnutrition presented an increase in the cardiovascular sympathetic tone, which contributed to the elevated AP observed in these animals.