For this, female Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups on day 1 of pregnancy: control fed standard chow ad libitum; restricted group fed 50 % of the ad libitum intake and a restricted plus micronutrient cocktail group treated daily with a combination of micronutrient (selenium, folate, vitamin C and vitamin E) by oral gavage.
In adult offspring, renal function and glomerular number were impaired by intrauterine malnutrition, and the prenatal micronutrient treatment did not prevent it. However, increased blood pressure and reduced endothelium-dependent vasodilation were prevented by the micronutrient prenatal treatment. Intrauterine malnutrition also led to reduced NO production associated with increased superoxide generation, and these parameters were fully normalized by this prenatal treatment.
Our current findings indicate that programming alterations during fetal life can be prevented by interventions during the prenatal period, and that disturbance in availability of both antioxidant vitamins and mineral may play a crucial role in determining the occurrence of long-term cardiovascular injury.