Cardiovascular Correlates of Predisposition to Hypertension in Pups of one Kidney: One Clip Renal Hypertensive Dams

We reported that the pups of one kidney:one-clip Goldblatt hypertensive (HT) rats have a predisposition to the induction of experimental hypertension. To investigate the nature of the predisposition, pups of HT dams were challenged with vasopressor agents at 28-days-of-age or treated with DOCA and 6.5% salt diet between 35 and 81 days-of-age. Pups of HT dams had a significantly greater blood pressure between 28 and 81 days-of-age and also showed a greater change in blood pressure when provided a 6.5% salt diet than did pups of normotensive dams. Pups of HT dams demonstrated a decreased bradycardic response after injection of angiotensin II (p less than .05) and a lesser change in mean arterial blood pressure after injection of angiotensin II or norepinephrine than did the pups from normotensive dams. These results suggest an effect of maternal hypertension on the development of cardiovascular control mechanisms in her offspring. The decreased pressor response suggests the predisposition is not due to an increased vascular sensitivity to vasopressors.