Early changes of hypothalamic angiotensin II receptors expression in gestational protein-restricted offspring: effect on water intake, blood pressure and renal sodium handling.

The current study examines changes in the postnatal hypothalamic angiotensin receptors by maternal protein restriction (LP), and its impact on in uteri programming of hypertension in adult life. The data show that LP male pup body weight was significantly reduced when compared to that of control (NP) pups. Also, immunoblotting analysis demonstrated a significantly decreased expression of type 1 AngII receptors (AT1R) in the entire hypothalamic tissue extract of LP rats at 12 days of age compared to age-matched NP offspring. Conversely, the expression of the type 2 AngII (AT2R) receptors in 12-day- and 16-week-old LP hypothalamus was significantly increased. The current data show the influence of central AngII administration on water consumption in a concentration-dependent fashion, but also demonstrate that the water intake response to AngII was strikingly attenuated in 16-week-old LP. These results may be related to decreased brain arginine vasopressin (AVP) expression appearing in maternal protein-restricted offspring. The present investigation shows an early decrease in fractional urinary sodium excretion in maternal protein-restricted offspring. The decreased fractional sodium excretion was accompanied by a fall in proximal sodium excretion and occurred despite unchanged creatinine clearance. These effects were associated with a significant enhancement in arterial blood pressure in the LP group, but the precise mechanism of these phenomena remains unknown.