Effects of lipopolysaccharide stimulation during pregnancy on kidneys and blood vessels in offspring rats

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inflammatory stimulation during pregnancy on offspring rats. Methods 20 SD pregnant rats were randomly divided into control and LPS groups, with 10 rats in each group. Rats in LPS group received intraperitoneal injection of LPS 0.79 mg/kg on the Days 8th, 10th, and 12th of gestation, and rats in control group received intraperitoneal injection of the same volume of sterile saline. The blood pressure of offspring rats was measured once every two weeks from 8 weeks of age to 16 weeks of age. Protein expression of NF-κB and NOX2 was detected by immunohistochemistry. ROS and NO levels in vascular tissues were observed by staining with DHE and DAF-2DA cular tissues were observed by staining with DHE and DAF-2DA fluorescent probes, respectively. Results At 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 weeks of age,the systolic blood pressure of offspring in the LPS group was higher than that of the control group at the same age (P< 0.01).The urine volume and urinary sodium excretion rate of the LPS group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05), while the urine creatinine and urine protein were not statistically significant as compared with those of the control group. Compared with the control group, the expression of NF-κB, NOX2, Ang II in thoracic aorta, and ROS in mesenteric artery were higher in LPS group. However, mesenteric artery NO expression was lower (P < 0.01) Conclusion LPS inflammatory stimulation during pregnancy causes kidneys inflammation and increased oxidative stress in blood vessels in offspring rats.