Abstract
Growth retarded fetuses are considered to be under chronic stress due to lack of oxygen and nutrients. Since FGR lambs have proportionally a large adrenal weight and a small thymus, both suggestive signs of increased adrenal activity, we measured the total corticosteroid levels in this syndrome. Growth retardation was produced in 7 chronically catheterized fetal lambs by embolization of the maternal uterine bed with non radioactive microspheres. Fetal femoral artery pH was (mean±SE) 7.38±0.008; PO2 18.41±0.61 torr; PCO2 46.62±1.19 torr and hematocrit 36.64±0.68%. Total corticosteroid was measured by RIA serially in fetal femoral arterial plasmas from 113 to 141 days gestation. Mean corticosteroid concentration (ng/ml) in FGR lambs were 4.92±1.0 (n=10), 7.44±1.3 (n=11), 20.75±5.42 (n=17) at 110-120, 121-130 and 131 to 141 days gestation respectively. These values are not significantly different from control animals, (5.21±1.02, n=10; 7.22±0.75, n=5; 13.75±3.12, n=4; respectively). These results indicate that placental embolization enough to cause fetal growth retardation is not a stimulus for enhanced fetal adrenal activity nor accelerates fetal adrenal maturation.
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Llanos, A., Seron-Ferre, M., Green, J. et al. 196 SERIAL PLASMA CORTICOSTEROIDS IN THE FETAL GROWTH RETARDED LAMB (FGR). Pediatr Res 12 (Suppl 4), 396 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00201
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00201