Maternal fish oil supplementation benefits programmed offspring from rat dams fed low-protein diet

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that maternal fish oil supplementation would prevent the programming of offspring cardiovascular alterations. STUDY DESIGN: Forty rats were fed during the perinatal period with normal-protein (NP) diet (19%) or low-protein (LP) diet (5%) and also received daily fish oil supplement (Fo). Offspring were divided into male and female NP, NP plus Fo, and LP and LP plus Fo groups (n = 5, each) until 6 months old. Cardiac structure was examined. RESULTS: Both LP sexes had mild hypertension, but Fo supplementation minimized hypertension. The left ventricle was thicker in the LP groups and less thick in the LP plus Fo groups. The male LP had significantly fewer intramyocardial microcirculation, whereas the male LP plus Fo had 90% more microcirculation than the LP group. The LP group had significantly higher interstitial fibrosis, compared with the NP groups. CONCLUSION: Postnatal hypertension and collateral cardiovascular adverse remodeling were programmed by perinatal LP diet, whose outcomes were alleviated by maternal fish oil supplementation.