Renal proteomics of male offspring exposed to maternal protein restriction: molecular, epigenetic, and nephron-specific signatures of metabolic programming Danielle Amanda Niz Alvarez, Isabelle Tenori Ribeiro, Matheus Naia Fioretto, Marina Pereira Pires, Luisa Annibal Barata, et al. Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry, 2026 Chronic kidney disease is an increasing global public health concern, and the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept proposes that adverse conditions during critical developmental windows predispose offspring to chronic disorders later in life. Maternal protein restriction (MPR), a well-established experimental model reflecting food insecurity, has been shown to impair nephrogenesis and promote long-term renal dysfunction. In this study, we investigated renal metabolic–epigenetic programming induced by gestational and lactational MPR in post-weaning male rats using a global kidney proteomic approach. MPR altered renal structure and profoundly dysregulated protein networks, characterized by downregulation of energy metabolism, ion transport, cytoskeletal organization, membrane integrity, and mitochondrial function, alongside upregulation of innate immune pathways, glutathione metabolism, vesicular trafficking, and cytoskeletal dynamics. Integrated pathway and disease enrichment analyses revealed the potential risk to hypertension, acid–base imbalance, renal tubular transport disorders, nephrosis, and renal failure. Key differentially expressed proteins (e.g., GPX1, CYCS, ATP1A2/ATP1B1, TUBB/TUBA isoforms, ANPEP, and metabolic enzymes) emerged as potential biomarkers of renal metabolic–epigenetic programming. Collectively, these findings identify molecular signatures that link early-life protein restriction to long-term risk of kidney disease and provide mechanistic insight into the nephron- and cell-specific consequences of MPR.
Gestational and lactational exposure to phthalates and nanoplastics induces inflammation and oxidative imbalance in the prostate of adult rats Vanessa A Rocha, Marina Cavalheiro, Patrick V Souza, Natalia Magosso, Matheus N Fioretto, et al. Toxicological Sciences an Official Journal of the Society of Toxicology, 2026 The intrauterine microenvironment is highly susceptible to environmental disturbances, which may result in persistent effects on offspring health. Given that plastic-derived contaminants can cross the placental barrier and act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, this study evaluated the effects of perinatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture (PM) and nanoplastics (NPs) on the prostate of adult rats. Pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats were allocated into 6 experimental groups: Ctrl (vehicle), T1 (20 μg/kg/d PM), T2 (200 mg/kg/d PM), T3 (NPs: 1.0 mg/kg/d), T4 (20 μg PM + NPs), and T5 (200 mg PM + NPs). Treatments were administered orally from gestational day 10 to postnatal day (PND) 21. Male offspring were euthanized on PND120, and ventral prostate samples were collected. Histological evaluation revealed increased inflammatory foci and stromal expansion in all exposed groups (T1–T5), along with reduced luminal compartment in T1, T3, and T4 compared with controls. All treated groups showed increased total and degranulated mast cells and enhanced androgen receptor immunoreactivity. Tumor necrosis factor (Tnf) expression was increased in all exposure groups, whereas Rela gene expression was elevated in the T4 and T5 groups. Oxidative stress analysis demonstrated increased lipid peroxidation and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity in all treated animals. Catalase (CAT) activity was reduced in T1, T3, and T5, whereas superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased in T3, T4, and T5. Elevated levels of reduced, oxidized, and total glutathione (GSH, GSSG, tGSH) were observed in T5. Overall, perinatal exposure to PM and NPs induced persistent inflammation and altered redox status in the prostate, increasing susceptibility to pathological disorders.
Fibrin biopolymer as scaffold candidate to treat bone defects in rats Claudia Vilalva Cassaro, Luis Antonio Justulin Jr., Patrícia Rodrigues de Lima, Marjorie de Assis Golim, Natália Perussi Biscola, et al. Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases, 2019