Key result
Specific rat strains serve as suitable models to study maternal calcium intake and offspring BP.
Why the study?
There is little evidence on the effects of maternal calcium intake during pregnancy on offspring blood pressure, indicating a need for further research to clarify underlying mechanisms.
Does maternal calcium intake during pregnancy impact offspring blood pressure in adulthood in rat models?
Does maternal calcium intake during pregnancy impact offspring blood pressure in adulthood in rat models?
Wistar, Sprague Dawley, and Wistar Kyoto rats are identified as suitable models for future research into how maternal calcium intake during pregnancy affects offspring blood pressure.
These strains enable targeted preclinical studies; leaves open translational effects on human offspring blood pressure.
Arterial hypertension is a major risk for disability and death globally. Hypertension is influenced by genetics, epigenetics and environmental factors. An inverse association between calcium intake and high blood pressure (BP) has been widely described. Several works have demonstrated that maternal calcium deficiency during pregnancy can lead to increased BP in offspring, highlighting the importance of maternal nutrition in foetal programming. Therefore, the aim of this review is to identify the most suitable rat strain for studying the effects of maternal calcium intake during pregnancy on offspring BP in adulthood. The literature search found articles involving Wistar, Sprague Dawley, and Wistar Kyoto rat strains. These strains are appropriate models for investigating the relationship between calcium intake and BP in normotensive rats. However, there is little evidence on the effects of calcium intake during pregnancy on offspring BP, suggesting the need of further research to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
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Lombarte et al. (2026) conducted a review in High blood pressure / hypertension. Maternal calcium intake during pregnancy was evaluated on Offspring blood pressure in adulthood. Wistar, Sprague Dawley, and Wistar Kyoto rat strains were identified as appropriate models for investigating the relationship between maternal calcium intake and offspring blood pressure.
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