The effect of maternal exercise during pregnancy on offspring vascular function in swine
Abstract
Maternal behavior influences the intrauterine environment and programs lifelong atherosclerotic disease susceptibility in offspring. An increased atherosclerotic disease risk has previously been reported for adult progeny exposed to an adverse in utero environment. Very few studies have investigated whether positive maternal health behaviors during pregnancy reduce atherosclerotic disease risk in offspring. The purpose of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that maternal exercise during pregnancy improves endothelial function in offspring. Six months old swine were randomly assigned to an exercise (n = 7) or sedentary (n = 8) group throughout pregnancy. Exercise consisted of treadmill running for 20-45 min, five times per week, for all but the last week of gestation. Vascular reactivity was measured using dose-dependent endothelium-dependent (bradykinin (BK); 10-11 -10-6 M) and -independent (sodium nitroprusside (SNP); 10-10 - 10-4 M) vasorelaxation in femoral arteries from offspring at 3, 5, and 9 months of age using in vitro wire-myography. L-Name (300 μM) was used to block nitric oxide (NO) signaling in BK-induced relaxation. Quantitative PCR and Western blotting were used to assess transcript and protein abundance, respectively, of eNOS, GUCY1A2, GUCY1A3, GUCY1B3, PRKG1, MYPT1, PPP1R14A, and SERCA2. Exercise had no effect on BK relaxation with and without L-Name. A main effect on SNP relaxation (P < 0.01) was observed. Furthermore, a significant age x treatment interaction for SNP (P < 0.05) manifested by a reduced SNP relaxation response in offspring of exercised trained compared to sedentary swine at 3 (P < 0.01), 5 (P < 0.05), and 9 months (P < 0.05) of age was identified. A significant main effect was observed for PPP14R1 (P < 0.05) and differential regulation of its protein product CPI-17. Contrary to our hypothesis, exercise during pregnancy does not alter BK-induced endothelial function via NO signaling. However, programming of NO-induced cGMP-dependent vascular smooth relaxation may contribute to a reduced vasorelaxation response in offspring from exercise trained compared to sedentary swine.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Donkin, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Evolution and Development|Health sciences|Physiology
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