Maternal High Sodium Diet Yields Kidney Alterations in Mice Offspring

Abstract

 Background-Aims: We aimed to examine the effects of a maternal high-sodium diet in the kidney and blood pressure (BP) of the offspring. Materials and Methods: Beginning eight weeks before pregnancy, female mice received a diet containing either 0.25% sodium chloride (NaCl) - (standard chow, SC) or 4.0% NaCl (high-sodium, HS). Females were mated with male mice fed a SC diet. Their offspring were analyzed at three different ages: at birth, at day 10, and at three months. Results: Before mating, HS dams exhibited higher corticosterone levels and higher BP than the SC dams. At birth, neonatal mortality was higher in the offspring of HS dams than in those from SC dams. At three months of age, HS offspring compared to SC offspring, showed higher proteinuria and BP, greater glomerular sclerosis, and lower creatinine clearance, blood urea nitrogen clearance, and glomerular filtration rate. The fractional excretions of sodium, potassium, urea, and the protein expressions of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) were higher in HS than in SC offspring, but AT2R, Wilms’ tumor suppressor gene (WT)1 and podocin were lower in HS than in SC offspring. Conclusion: The offspring exposed to a maternal diet with high sodium content shows glomerular sclerosis with consequent high blood pressure and a shift in the renal expression of proteins (WT1, podocin, and RAS) at maturity. Consequently, the renal function of the offspring deteriorates more quickly than offspring from mothers fed a standard sodium diet.