Aim: 

The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the influence of maternal sodium depletion during pregnancy on the offspring drinking behaviour after early beta-adrenergic stimulation.

Methods: 

Pregnant rats underwent 3 episodes of saline depletion induced by injecting s.c. 10 mg of Furosemide in saline (0.5 ml). The treatment given on days 14^th, 17^th and 20^th post-conception, induces acute sodium depletion on dams. The offspring was tested when 6 days old, for its drinking response (as % body weight gain during the testing period) to Isoproterenol (500 mg/kg s.c. dissolved in saline - 1.25 mL/100 g bw).

Results: 

The offspring from Furosemide treated dams (O-FUR) drunk significantly less than the control group (O-Control) (0.840.14 vs. 1.640.21, p<0.01) after Isoproterenol treatment. Nevertheless basal intake (water drunk after vehicle –saline only) was also significantly lesser in O-FUR than in O-Control (0.0040.72 vs. 0.410.70, p=0.001).

Conclusion: 

Offspring exposed to saline depletion in utero, modifies its response to thirst stimuli at 6 day of age demonstrating Furosemide treatment which induces high water and salt intake and volume depletion with RAS activation in mothers, goes associated with induction of changes in the maturation of the dipsogenic responses in the descendants. This is one more demonstration that in utero environment conditions early responses in the offspring which eventually could provide adaptative advantages or impairments after different challenges.