Resveratrol reduces oxidative stress and improves nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability in the aorta of adult offspring from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) when administered during pregnancy. In this study, we investigated whether parental resveratrol supplementation, initiated before conception and maintained throughout pregnancy and lactation, reduces oxidative stress, MMP-2 activity, and vascular dysfunction in adult offspring. Male and female SHR received resveratrol for 14 days before mating, and treatment was maintained throughout gestation and lactation. Offspring from SHR and Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) were weaned onto a standard diet and evaluated at 12 weeks of age. Aortic tissues were analyzed by zymography, DHE fluorescence to assess oxidative stress, and vascular reactivity using isolated organ bath assays. Adult female, but not male, SHR offspring exposed to parental resveratrol exhibited lower systolic blood pressure. Resveratrol attenuated vascular oxidative stress and gelatinase activity in SHR offspring and improved endothelium-dependent relaxation in males. In contrast, oxidative stress was observed in the aortas from adult WKY offspring exposed to resveratrol. Additionally, parental resveratrol exposure increased aortic cross-sectional area in female WKY offspring, indicating hypertrophic remodeling. In conclusion, parental resveratrol supplementation exerts beneficial vascular effects in hypertensive offspring but induces oxidative stress and adverse vascular remodeling in normotensive offspring. These findings highlight the context-dependent dual effect of resveratrol and raise caution regarding its supplementation during normotensive pregnancies.
