Function and morphometric evaluation of intrauterine undernutrition on kidney development of the progeny.

Renal function and renal morphometry of the progeny of rats submitted to 50% dietary restriction (pair-fed with control group) throughout pregnancy (RT group), during the first half of pregnancy (R1 group) or during the second half of pregnancy (R2 group) were studied 3 months after birth. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF) decreased significantly in all groups when compared to control (C) (GFR, 4.44 +/- 0.12, 4.04 +/- 0.18, and 4.00 +/- 0.16 vs 6.87 +/- 0.17, and RPF, 19.06 +/- 0.57, 17.00 +/- 1.14, and 13.31 +/- 0.50 vs 22.57 +/- 0.67, respectively). Urinary osmolality tended to be lower in the R2 and RT groups (877.1 +/- 42.36 and 868.0 +/- 42.36 vs 975.1 +/- 38.31 in C), and the net acid excretion calculated per ml of GFR was either maintained or stimulated (R1 group). A significant decline in the number of glomeruli occurred in R1, R2 and RT rats (79.84 +/- 2.08, 62.30 +/- 2.07, and 58.16 +/- 2.31 vs 99.77 +/- 2.28 in C respectively). The results show that intrauterine undernutrition actually caused a deleterious effect on the number of functional nephrons.