Figure 1. Comparison between offspring treated with a low-protein diet (LP) and those treated with dexamethasone (Dex).

(A) Real-time PCR of Hsd11b2 mRNA expression (normalized against Actb) in placenta at the end of the third trimester (F19–20) of pregnant rats receiving a normal-protein diet (NP) (n = 13) or a low-protein diet (LP) (n = 14). Filled circles, NP-treated rats; open circles, LP-treated rats. (B) Body weight (BW) at weeks 1 (n = 16) and 12 (n = 7) in male NP- and LP-treated offspring. (C) BW at weeks 1 and 12 in Dex-untreated (control) (n = 16 and 12) and Dex-treated (n = 20 and 8, respectively) offspring. Filled circles, control offspring; open circles, Dex-treated offspring. (D) Systolic BP measured by radiotelemetry in NP-treated and LP-treated offspring that received a 0.5% salt (NS) or 8% salt (HS) diet for 1 week (n = 4) (left panel). Mean arterial pressure by radiotelemetry before and after 1 week of HS in NP-treated and LP-treated offspring (right panel). Filled circles, NP group; open circles, LP group. (E) Systolic BP, measured by radiotelemetry, in control and Dex-treated offspring that received 0.5% salt (NS) or 8% salt (HS) diet for 1 week (n = 4) (left panel). Mean arterial pressure, measured by radiotelemetry, before and after 1 week of HS in control and Dex-treated offspring (right panel). Filled circles, control offspring; open circles, Dex-treated offspring. Throughout, data represent means ± SEM. In A, B, and C, *P < 0.05 versus NP offspring or control offspring (t test). In D, *P < 0.05 in NP-treated group versus LP-treated group and in NS versus HS within each group. In E, *P < 0.05 in control versus Dex-treated offspring and in NS versus HS within each group (2-way repeated ANOVA, Bonferroni post hoc test).