Does early mismatched nutrition predispose to hypertension and atherosclerosis, in male mice?

Background: A link between early mismatched nutritional environment and development of components of the metabolic syndrome later in life has been shown in epidemiological and animal data. The aim of this study was to investigate whether an early mismatched nutrition produced by catch-up growth after fetal protein restriction could induce the appearance of hypertension and/or atherosclerosis in adult male mice.

Methodology/principal Findings: Wild-type C57BL6/J or LDLr-/- dams were fed a low protein (LP) or a control (C) diet during gestation.