Objectives: 

Osmoregulatory mechanisms can be vulnerable to electrolyte and/or endocrine environmental changes during the perinatal period, differentially programming the developing offspring and affecting them even in adulthood. Developmental programming by maternal stress during pregnancy is found to influence behavioral development in the offspring. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of maternal sodium depletion during pregnancy in rats on the development of thirst mechanisms in the offspring.

Materials: 

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 14th, 17th and 20th post-conception, is thought to induce acute sodium depletion on dams. The offspring was tested for their drinking responses to Isoproterenol (500 mg/kg s.c.)

Results: 

In accordance to the known sequence of ontogenic development of drinking mechanisms, all groups of pups drunk after being stimulated with Isoproterenol at 6 days of age. The offspring from Furosemide treated dams drunk significantly less than the control group after Isoproterenol (p<0.001) Nevertheless basal intake (water drunk after vehicle –saline only) was also significantly lesser in these pups (p<0.001).

Conclusions: 

In conclusion, offspring exposed to saline depletion in utero, modify their thirst responses at 6 day of age. This confirms that in utero conditions determine the thirst responses in the offspring and it could provide adaptative advantages.