Resveratrol attenuates oxidative stress and prevents steatosis and hypertension in obese rats programmed by early weaning

We hypothesized that resveratrol, a natural phytoalexin found in grapes, can prevent oxidative stress, obesity and its related disturbances in obese rats programmed by early weaning. Lactating Wistar rats were separated into two groups: early weaning (EW) — dams who were wrapped with a bandage to interrupt the lactation in the last 3 days of lactation; control — dams whose pups had free access to milk during all lactation. At the 150th day, EW offspring were randomly subdivided into EW+resveratrol (EW+Res) — resveratrol (30 mg/kg/day); EW+vehicle (EW) — rats that received 0.5% (w/v) aqueous methylcellulose. The control group received vehicle. Rats were treated by gavage daily for 30 days. EW offspring developed hyperphagia, higher body weight, visceral obesity, higher systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (+15% and +20%, respectively; P