This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Nitsos, I. Articles by Newnham, J. P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Nitsos, I. Articles by Moss, T. J. M. Articles by Cock, M. L. Articles by Harding, R. Articles by Newnham, J. P. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Fetal Responses to Intra-Amniotic Endotoxin in Sheep

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia; Women and Infants Research Foundation, Subiaco, Westenr Australia; Department of Physiology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia; initsos{at}cyllene.uwa.edu.au

Timothy J. M. Moss, PhD

Megan L. Cock, PhD

Richard Harding, DSc

John P. Newnham, MD

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia; Women and Infants Research Foundation, Subiaco, Westenr Australia; Department of Physiology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia

Objective: Our aim was to determine the acute physiologic effects of intra-amniotic endotoxin administration in fetal sheep, and in particular, to determine whether intra-amniotic endotoxin causes an increase in fetal cortisol that could underlie the functional maturation of the fetal lungs previously reported in this model.

Methods: As in our previous experiments, ewes were randomly assigned to receive a single intraamoniotic injection of either endotoxin (20 mg, Escherichcia cocli [055:B5], n = 5) or saline (n = 5). Between 0.5 hours before endotoxin and 168 hours after its administration, we measured maternal and fetal arterial pressures and heart rates; fetal and maternal blood samples were collected for measurement of blood gases, electorlytes, glucose and lactate concentrations, white cell counts (total and differential), and plasma cortisol.

Results: Fetal arterial carbon dioxide tension and lactate concentration were concentration were significantly elevated 6 and 12 hours after endotoxin but returned to pre-endotoxin levels by 24 hours. Fetal plasma cortisol oncentrations were significantly elevated at 4 hours and peaked 24 hours after endotoxin, returning to control levels by 2 days. Fetal white cell counts initially decreased (4 hours) and then increased (after 24 hours), becoming significantly elevated 6 days after treatment. Other fetal variables, and all measured maternal variables, were unaffected.

Conclusions: Our data suggest that fetal sheep respond to intra-amniotic endotoxin with transient, mild physiologic alterations that follow a time course similar to inflammatory responses reported previously. The elevation in fetal cortisol is insufficient to be the case of preterm lung maturation shown previously with this treatment.

Key Words: Intrauterine inflammation • chorioamnionitis • lung maturation

Journal of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation, Vol. 9, No. 2, 80-85 (2002)
DOI: 10.1177/107155760200900206


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?