Perinatally Imposed Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency Changes Renal Function of the Adult Rat

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate whether essential fatty acid deficiency early during development could change the content of phospholipids and cholesterol in whole membranes of the kidney and renal function at adult life. For this, female Wistar rats were maintained on a standard diet or on an essential fatty acid deficient diet (EFAD) from the age of 30 days, throughout the pregnancy, at age of 90 days and until the weaning, for evaluation of their offspring. Weanling rats were maintained on a standard diet until the age of 13 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urinary sodium excretion (UNa + V), positive cells for angiotensin II (Ang II) and cholesterol and phospholipids in whole membranes of the kidney were evaluated. Cholesterol, total phospholipids and the relative content of classes of phospholipids were unaltered in the cortex and medullary kidney. SBP, GFR and UNa + V were also unaltered in the EFAD group. However, the number of positive cells for Ang II in the tubulointerstitial area of the renal cortex was higher in the EFAD group. Therefore, these findings indicated that although cholesterol and phospholipids were unaltered and urinary sodium excretion was unchanged, Ang II expression in the kidney was erroneously programmed and later hindering of renal function was not ruled out.