Regulation of cerebral arterial BKCa channels by angiotensin II signaling in adult offspring exposed to prenatal high sucrose diets

• Published in: Bioscience reports Vol. 37; no. 3
• Main Authors: Gu, Xiuxia, He, Axin, Fan, Xiaorong, Shi, Ruixiu, Feng, Xueqin, Bo, Le, Jiang, Lin, Li, Na, Wu, Jue, Yang, Yuxian, Gao, Qinqin, Xu, Zhice
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Portland Press Ltd 30.06.2017
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Angiotensin II - genetics; Angiotensin II - metabolism; Animals; Brain - blood supply; Calcium - metabolism; Diet - adverse effects; Dietary Sucrose - adverse effects; Female; Glucose - analysis; Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel alpha Subunits - analysis; Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel alpha Subunits - metabolism; Male; Microvessels - chemistry; Microvessels - metabolism; Middle Cerebral Artery - chemistry; Middle Cerebral Artery - metabolism; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Potassium - metabolism; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, Angiotensin - genetics; Receptors, Angiotensin - metabolism; Vascular Diseases - metabolism; Vasoconstriction; BKCa channels; Angiotensin II; Adult offspring; Prenatal high sucrose diets; Middle cerebral artery
• ISSN: 0144-8463; 1573-4935
• DOI: 10.1042/BSR20160624

Prenatal insults have been shown to affect vascular functions, leading to increased risks of cardiovascular diseases in offspring. The present study determined whether high sucrose (HS) intake in pregnancy affected central vascular functions in middle cerebral artery (MCA) of offspring. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a standard food and tap water with normal or high (20%) sucrose content during pregnancy. Offspring were maintained with normal diets and tap water. Central vascular functions and related ion channels were assessed in male offspring at 5 months old. Compared with the control, angiotensin II (AII)-induced vasoconstrictions were significantly higher in the MCA of the offspring exposed to prenatal HS. In the MCA, large conductance Ca -activated K channels (BKCa) currents were decreased with a reduction of opening frequency, sensitivity to intracellular Ca /membrane voltage, and BKβ1 expression. mRNA levels of AT1α and AT2, as well as AT1/AT2 ratio, were significantly increased in the MCA of offspring following exposure to prenatal HS diets. The data suggested that prenatal HS diets could alter microvascular activities in the MCA, probably via changes of BKCa channels in the brain.