The aim was to evaluate early cardiovascular alterations in rats exposed to moderate zinc deficiency during fetal life and lactation, and compare the effects in males (m) and females (f).Wistar rats received low (L,8 ppm) or control (C,30 ppm) zinc diet from pregnancy until offspring weaning (day 21). At 21 days, we evaluate mayor (MM) and minor (mM) myocyte diameter (μm); aortic intima (Ai), media (Am) and perivascular collagen (Ac) thickness (μm); cardiac (C) and aortic (A) nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity (pmol Cit/g.tissue.min); cardiac thiobarbituric acid substances (Tbars, nmol/mg protein), glutathione (G, mg/g protein), glutathione peroxidase (GPX, μmol/min/mg protein), catalase (CAT, pmol/mg protein) and superoxide dismutase (SOD, U/mg protein) activity in Lm, Lf, Cm and Cf rats. Cm Lm Cf Lf MM 14±1 18±1* 15±1 15±1 mM 8,6±0,5 10,7±0,3* 9,4±0,5 10,1±0,3 Ai 23,3±0,2 18,3±0,1* 23,9±0,2 18,9±0,2† Am 280±2 298±2 287±3 280±2 Ac 16±1 24±1* 12±1 23±2† C NOS 249±5 205±5* 247±3 201±3† A NOS 225±5 172±5* 211±6 179±6† G 9±1 3±1* 10±1 6±1† GPX 81±8 65±6* 85±6 68±8† Tbars 0.41±0.05 0.32±0.02 0.22±0.04* 0.18±0.02 No differences were observed in cardiac SOD and CAT activity p<0.01:*vs Cm;†vs Cf; N=6/group These early cardiovascular alterations may participate in the programming of adult diseasesSupported by University of Buenos Aires, CONICET, ANCyT, Argentina