Effects of maternal exercise during pregnancy on coronary artery vascular function in high fat fed swine offspring (886.2)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that maternal exercise during pregnancy would enhance coronary artery endothelial function in swine offspring that were fed a high fat diet. Pubertal gilts were divided into exercise (n =8) and sedentary (n =8) groups. Pregnant gilts in the exercise group performed treadmill exercise 5 days per week. Offspring were fed a high fat diet and endothelial (bradykinin; BK) and vascular smooth muscle (sodium nitroprusside; SNP) function were measured at 4 and 8 months of age in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery using in vitro wire myography. Exercise sows had a significantly lower resting heart rate at week 15 of pregnancy compared to their sedentary counterparts (EX: 94.43 ± 4.0; SED: 107.13 ± 3.6 bpm). There were no significant differences in litter characteristics at birth (i.e., number of piglets alive and litter weight). There were no significant differences in vasorelaxation dose response or maximal response to BK or SNP from offspring of exercise or sedentary sows at 4 months of age (BK: EX: 94.35 ± 3.8; SED: 104.1 ± 7.7 % relaxation; SNP: EX: 101.45 ± 2.3; SED: 100.44 ± 3.4 % relaxation) or 8 months of age (BK: EX: 82.75 ± 8.5; SED: 93.92 ± 7.4 % relaxation; SNP: EX: 95.44 ± 2.7; SED: 96.51 ± 1.5 % relaxation) for the LAD artery. Therefore, maternal exercise during pregnancy does not significantly alter LAD artery function at 4 or 8 months of age in swine offspring fed a high fat diet.Grant Funding Source: Supported by the American Heart Association Grant # 12FDG8540001 (S.C.N.)