Prenatal cold exposure causes hypertension in offspring by hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system.

ABSTRACT: Environmental temperature plays a role in the variation of blood pressure. Maternal cold stress could affect the physiological phenotype of the offspring, including blood pressure elevation. In the present study, we found that adult offspring of dams exposed to cold have increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and decreased urine volume and sodium excretion, accompanied by increased heart rate and heart rate variability, secondary to increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system. Renal denervation or adrenergic receptor blockade decreased blood pressure and increased sodium excretion. The increase in peripheral sympathetic nerve activity can be ascribed to the central nervous system because administration of clonidine, a centrally acting α₂ adrenergic receptor ag

SUBMITTER: Chen K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6833955 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature