Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of maternal diet rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on intrauterine fetal growth retardation in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). SHRs were fed purified diet containing either a safflower/soybeans oil mixture or a DHA-enriched oil during pregnancy. Systolic blood pressure was measured before and during pregnancy. The weights of the fetal body, organs and placenta were measured at day 20 of gestation in SHRs and were compared with those in normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) control strain. In SHRs, the dietary DHA significantly decreased the systolic blood pressure by 10–15% after day 18 of gestation. The weights of fetal body, brain, and liver in the SHRs without DHA were significantly lower than those in the WKY rats. This growth retardation was prevented by the dietary DHA. The results demonstrated that maternal dietary DHA decreased the blood pressure during late gestation and prevented the fetal growth retardation in SHRs.
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