Influência da hipertensão renovascular materna sobre a pressão arterial e o comportamento ingestivo espontâneo e induzido por privação hídrica e reidratação parcial

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases, including arterial hypertension (AH), are among the leading causes of death worldwide. In its secondary form, renovascular hypertension can be experimentally reproduced using the two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C) model, characterized by the exacerbated activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Considering that maternal activation of this system during pregnancy may influence the development of fetal neuroendocrine circuits, this study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal renovascular hypertension induced by the 2K1C model on offspring ingestive behavior and cardiovascular parameters after the water deprivation and partial rehydration (WD-PR) protocol. Wistar female rats underwent either 2K1C or sham surgery. After six weeks, females were mated, and the offspring (males and females) were monitored for 13 days in metabolic cages, with evaluations of food, water, and 0.3 M NaCl intake, urinary volume, and cardiovascular parameters. The 2K1C model induced increased systolic and mean arterial pressure in dams without significant changes in heart rate. Male offspring of hypertensive dams presented higher body weight, sodium intake and retention, and elevated mean arterial pressure, while female offspring of non hypertensive 2K1C dams showed similar ingestive behavior but lower blood pressure. These findings suggest that maternal RAAS activation during pregnancy influences the development of central mechanisms controlling hydroelectrolytic and cardiovascular regulation in offspring, supporting the hypothesis of fetal programming effects with sex-specific outcomes.