Maternal exposure to high-fat and high-cholesterol diet induces arterial hypertension and oxidative stress along the gut-kidney axis in rat offspring

AIMS:Evaluate the effects of maternal high fat and high cholesterol (HFHC) diet consumption on blood pressure (BP), renal function and oxidative stress along the gut-kidney axis in male and female rat offspring. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Pregnant rats were fed with a control (CTL) or HFHC diet during pregnancy and lactation. At 90 days, BP was assessed by tail-cuff plethysmography, and urinary and biochemical variables were measured. Biomarkers for oxidative stress, enzymatic antioxidant defense (activity of superoxide dismutase-SOD, catalase, and glutathione-S-transferase-GST) and nonenzymatic antioxidant defense (thiols content) were evaluated in the colon and renal cortex. KEY FINDINGS:Male and female offspring from dams fed with a HFHC diet presented increased BP when compared to their respective CTL group. Male offspring from dams fed with HFHC diet showed reduced GST activity and thiols content in the colon, reduced SOD activity in the renal cortex and decreased urinary creatinine excretion when compared to the CTL group. Regarding female offspring, catalase activity and thiols content were reduced in the colon when compared to CTL group. Although lipid peroxidation had been increased in the renal cortex of HFHC female offspring, the CAT and SOD enzymatic antioxidant acitivities (CAT and SOD) were increased in the renal cortex of female offspring when compared with male offspring; and the renal function was not impaired by maternal HFHC diet consumption. SIGNIFICANCE:HFHC diet during pregnancy and lactation induces sex-specific oxidative stress along the gut-kidney axis in offspring, which might induce renal dysfunction and arterial hypertension in later life.