To determine whether oxidative stress plays a role in the development of hypertension using a mouse model of fetal programming induced by endothelial nitric oxide synthase deficiency.

Homozygous nitric oxide synthase knockout and wild type mice were cross-bred producing maternal (endothelial nitric oxide synthase^+pat/−mat) and paternal (endothelial nitric oxide synthase^+mat/−pat) heterozygous offspring. RNA from liver and kidney tissues of female pups were obtained at 14 weeks of age. Relative expression of the heat shock protein-B6, peroxiredoxin-3, superoxide dismutase-1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, nitric oxide synthase-1 and -2 were determined.

In the kidneys, expression of nitric oxide synthase-2, peroxiredoxin-3, heat shock protein-B6, and superoxide dismutase-1 was up-regulated in endothelial nitric oxide synthase^+pat/−mat but not in endothelial nitric oxide synthase^+mat/−pat compared with wild type offspring. In the liver, there were no significant differences in the expression of nitric oxide synthase-1, nitric oxide synthase-2, peroxiredoxin, superoxide dismutase-1, or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma; however, heat shock protein-B6 was down-regulated in both heterozygotes offspring compared with wild type.

The intrauterine environment alters oxidative pathways gene expression in the kidneys of offspring, which may be a mechanism in the development of adult hypertension.