Effect of maternal lipopolysaccharides exposureduring pregnancy on vascular structure in 6-week offspring rats / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Aim To explore the role of prenatal exposure to lipopolysaccharides(LPS)on aortic morphology in the 6-week offspring rats.Methods Twelve pregnant rats were randomly divided into three groups control group,LPS group,L+P(pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate,PDTC)group.The rats were intraperitoneally administered vehicle,LPS(0.79 mg·kg-1),or LPS plus PDTC(100 mg·kg-1).LPS was given on the 8th,10th and 12th day,where as vehicle and PDTC were given daily from the 8th to the 14th day during gestation.Offspring body weight was measured at 6-week,and histopathological alteration of the thoracic aorta was observed by transmission electron microscopy,the thoracic aorta mRNA and protein expression of connexin(Cx)molecules including Cx37,Cx40,Cx43 and Cx45 in offspring rats were detected by real time PCR,Western blot and confocal laser-scanning microscope.Results Body weight at 6-week offspring rats was significantly higher in LPS group than in control group whatever male or female(P<0.01);and that in L+P group was significantly lower than in LPS group in male rats(P<0.05),but not in female rats.The LPS group thoracic aortas exhibited lesions,including impaired endothelial cells,and the vascular smooth muscle cells were arranged disorder and migration and proliferation;the number of gap junction was increased and longer than control group;the pathological changes were improved to some extent in L+P group.Cx43 mRNA and protein expression in LPS group was obviously lower than in control group(P<0.05),which could be partly reversed in L+P group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in Cx37,Cx40 or Cx45 mRNA or protein expression among each group.The results of protein expression with confocal laser-scanning microscope was the same as those of Western blot.Conclusion Maternal LPS exposure during pregnancy leads to vascular changes in 6-week offspring rats,which might last until neonatal stage,and is closely correlated to hypertension in adult offsprings.