Protection by Means of Perinatal Oral Sodium Thiosulfate Administration against Offspring Hypertension in a Rat Model of Maternal Chronic Kidney Disease

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and related reactive sulfur species are implicated in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypertension. Offspring born to CKD-afflicted mothers could develop hypertension coinciding with disrupted H2S and nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathways as well as gut microbiota. Thiosulfate, a precursor of H2S and an antioxidant, has shown anti-hypertensive effects. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of sodium thiosulfate (STS) in a rat model of maternal CKD-induced hypertension. Before mating, CKD was induced through feeding 0.5% adenine chow for 3 weeks. Mother rats were given a vehicle or STS at a dosage of 2 g/kg/day in drinking water throughout gestation and lactation. Perinatal STS treatment protected 12-week-old offspring from maternal CKD-primed hypertension. The beneficial effects of STS could partially be explained by the enhancement of both H2S and NO signaling pathways and alterations in gut microbiota. Not only increasing beneficial microbes but maternal STS treatment also mediates several hypertension-associated intestinal bacteria. In conclusion, perinatal treatment with STS improves maternal CKD-primed offspring hypertension, suggesting that early-life RSS-targeting interventions have potential preventive and therapeutic benefits, awaiting future translational research.

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of sodium thiosulfate (STS) in a rat model of maternal CKD-induced hypertension. The results showed that STS treatment could enhance H2S and NO signaling pathways, alter gut microbiota, and protect offspring from maternal CKD-primed hypertension. This suggests that early-life interventions targeting reactive sulfur species (RSS) have potential preventive and therapeutic benefits for CKD-induced hypertension.