Developmental Origins of Obesity Related Hypertension

Dr James Andrew Armitage
Email Address: james.armitage@med.monash.edu.au 
Lab Members: 
Benjamin Barzel - PhD Student
A/Prof Geoffrey A Head- Baker Heart Research Institute - Collaborator

We are interested in understanding how the environment encountered during fetal and early postnatal life affects our health as adults. Since the work of Barker and Osmond in the mid 1990’s there is a growing body of work that supports the hypothesis that adverse intrauterine and/or postnatal environments can “programme” an individual to be more susceptible to the development of several facets of metabolic and cardiovascular disease. We use several experimental animal models to understand how maternal dietary factors; particularly fat, protein, and micronutrients, can programme cardiovascular disease and obesity in the offspring. Current experiments utilise a rabbit model and focus on maternal fat intake during pregnancy and suckling and how it may programme obesity related hypertension in the offspring. We wish to understand the role of the sympathetic nervous system in this process, as well as the role of hypothalamic neural inputs to sympathetic drive. In another project, we are seeking to understand the way that short term (3 weeks) fat feeding in otherwise healthy rabbits can change hypothalamic neural activation, and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) vasomotor tone to assess whether increased SNS activity contributes to the genesis of obesity related hypertension. Our studies utilise radiotelemetric measurement of SNS activity and blood pressure during the early phase of obesity development to describe the neurogenic basis of obesity related hypertension. We also use immunohistochemical methods to characterise neuronal activation- by quantification of FOS/ FRA positive neurons.

Grants and Awards

Recent Publications

Book Chapters

ARMITAGE JA & TAYLOR PD Obesity in pregnancy and the consequences for offspring health. In Korbonits M (ed). Obesity and Metabolism. Frontiers of Hormone Research, Karger, Basel. In Press 2007
POSTON L, TORRENS C, ARMITAGE JA & HANSON MA. The role of vascular dysfunction in DoHAD; Evidence from studies in man and animals. (2006) In: Developmental Origins of Health and Disease ed HANSON, M.A., GLUCKMAN P Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
POSTON L, ARMITAGE JA & TAYLOR, PD. Developmental Programming of Cardiovascular Dysfunction. (2006) In: Early Life origins of Health and Disease. ed WINTOUR-COGHLAN E.M., OWENS J., Landes Publications, Syndey.
VINGRYS AJ, ARMITAGE JA, WEISINGER HS, SINCLAIR AJ & WEISINGER RS. (2001). The Role of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Retinal Function. In Fatty Acids: Physiological and Behavioural Functions, Ch. 12. ed. MOSTOFSKI DI, YEHUDA S & SALEM N JR., pp. 193-217. Humana Press, Totowa NJ
WEISINGER RS, ARMITAGE JA, BURNS PL, SINCLIAR AJ, VINGRYS AJ & WEISINGER HS. (2001) The role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Body Fluid and Energy Homeostasis. In Fatty Acids; Physiological and Behavioural Functions. Ch 22. ed MOFSTOFSKI DI, YEHUDA S & SALEM N JR., pp.377-401. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ.

Peer Reviewed Papers

ARMITAGE JA, ISHIBASHI A, BALACHANDRAN AA, JENSEN RI, POSTON L &TAYLOR PD. (2007) Programmed aortic dysfunction and reduced Na+, K+ATPase activity present in first generation offspring of lard-fed rats does not persist to the second generation Experimental Physiology 92, 583-589 LI D, WEISINGER HS, WEISINGER RS, MATHAI M, ARMITAGE JA, VINGRYS AJ & SINCLAIR AJ. (2006). Omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acid imbalance early in life leads to persistent reductions in DHA levels in glycerophospholipids in rat hypothalamus even after long-term omega 3 fatty acid repletion. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids 74, 391-399
DOUGLAS G, ARMITAGE JA, TAYLOR PD, LAWSON JR, MANN GE & POSTON L. Cardiovascular consequences of life long exposure to dietary isoflavones in the rat (2006). Journal of Physiology 571,477-487.
ARMITAGE JA, LAKASING L, TAYLOR PD, Balachandran AA, Jensen RI, Dekou V, Ashton N, Nyengaard JR & Poston,L. Developmental programming of aortic and renal structure in offspring of rats fed fat-rich diets in pregnancy. (2005) Journal of Physiology 565, 171-184.
ARMITAGE JA, TAYLOR PD & POSTON L. Experimental models of developmental programming; Consequences of exposure to an energy rich diet during development. (2005) Journal of Physiology 565, 3-8.
ARMITAGE JA, KHAN IY, TAYLOR PD, NATHANIELSZ PW, & POSTON L. Developmental programming of metabolic syndrome by maternal nutritional imbalance; how strong is the evidence from experimental models in animals? (2004) Journal of Physiology 561, 355-377.
ARMITAGE JA, PEARCE AD, SINCLAIR AJ, VINGRYS AJ, WEISINGER RS & WEISINGER HS. (2003). Increased blood pressure later in life may be associated with perinatal n-3 fatty acid deficiency. Lipids 38, 459-464.
BUI BV, ARMITAGE JA, TOLCOS M., COOPER ME & VINGRYS AJ (2003). ACE inhibition salvages the visual loss caused by diabetes. Diabetologia 46, 401-408.
WEISINGER HS, ARMITAGE JA, JEFFREY BG, MITCHELL DC, MORIGUCHI T., SINCLAIR AJ, WEISINGER RS & SALEM N JR. (2002). Retinal sensitivity loss in third-generation n-3 PUFA-deficient rats. Lipids 37, 759-765.
BUI BV, ARMITAGE JA & VINGRYS AJ (2002). Extraction and modelling of oscillatory potentials. Documenta Ophthalmologica 104, 17-36.
BUI BV, REES SM, LOELIGER M, CADDY, J, REHN AH, ARMITAGE JA & VINGRYS AJ (2002). Altered retinal function and structure after chronic placental insufficiency. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 43, 805-812.
ARMITAGE JA, BUI BV, GIBSON R & VINGRYS AJ (2001). Postnatal development of flicker sensitivity in guinea pigs. Clinical & Experimental Optometry 84, 270-275.
BUI BV, ARMITAGE JA, FLETCHER EL, RICHARDSON SJ, SCHREIBER G & VINGRYS AJ (2001). Retinal anatomy and function of the transthyretin null mouse. Experimental Eye Research 73, 651-659.
NIXON PJ, BUI BV, ARMITAGE JA & VINGRYS AJ. (2001). The contribution of cone responses to rat electroretinograms. Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology 29, 193-196.
WEISINGER HS, ARMITAGE JA, SINCLAIR AJ, VINGRYS AJ, BURNS PL & WEISINGER RS (2001). Perinatal omega-3 fatty acid deficiency affects blood pressure later in life. Nature Medicine 7, 258-259.
ARMITAGE JA, BRUCE AS, PHILLIPS AJ & LINDSAY RG. (1998). Morphological variants in keratoconus: anatomical observation or aetiologically significant? Australian & New Zealand Journal of Ophthalmology 26 Suppl 1, S68-70.