Evidências epidemiológicas tem sugerido que a desnutrição intra-uterina pode ter papel importante no desenvolvimento de hipertensão arterial na fase adulta. No presente trabalho, foi estudada a influência da desnutrição intra-uterina na reatividade vascular e na pressão arterial de animais Wistar e SHR (ambos os sexos). Para tanto, ratas prenhes foram submetidas à restrição alimentar equivalente a 50% da dieta normal, durante toda a gestação. Curvas concentração-efeito à noradrenalina (NA), acetilcolina (ACh) e ao nitroprussiato de sódio (NPS) foram realizadas em anéis de aorta de ratos Wistar e SHR nutridos e desnutridos (ambos os sexos). A desnutrição intra-uterina elevou a pressão arterial em animais Wistar, machos e fêmeas, até níveis considerados de hipertensão. Além disso, acarretou alterações da reatividade à NA e à ACh, mas não ao NPS. Em animais SHR, de ambos os sexos, os efeitos deletérios da desnutrição intra-uterina foram capazes de exacerbar a hipertensão e a disfunção endotelial já existentes nesses animais.

Epidemiological studies suggest that intrauterine undernutrition can play an important role in the development of arterial hypertension in adulthood (FERRARI et al., 2000). Furthermore, maternal malnutrition during organ developmental stage impairs fetal growth and is believed to alter permanently the metabolism and physiology of the developing tissues. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of intrauterine undernutrition in the arterial blood and vascular reactivity pressure of male and female normotensive (Wistar) and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats offspring. Female pregnant rats (Wistar and SHR) were fed either normal or 50% of the normal intake diets, during the whole gestational period. Arterial blood pressure and the norepinephrine (NE), acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) dose-response curves in isolated aortic rings of their offspring (male and female – when they reached adulthood) were determined. In Wistar rats, the intrauterine undernutrition induced an increase in the arterial blood pressure, leading to hypertension. Dietary restriction during pregnancy of Wistar rats altered the vascular reactivity to NE and ACh, whereas the response to SNP remained unaltered in the offspring. In the SHR offspring (male and female) the intrauterine undernutrition exacerbates the already existing hypertension and endothelial dysfunction. In summary, this study has shown that intrauterine undernutrition increased the arterial blood pressure and altered the vascular reactivity of male and female normotensive and SHR offspring.