Abstract
The response of lymphocytes to PHA stimulation was studied in prenatally treated(Gr.1)and postnatally treated(Gr.2)rabbit neonates. In the prenatal study,6 pregnant rabbits with timed mating were given hydrocortisone(10 mg/kg,0.5 ml)and 7 were given saline (0.5 ml)at 28th,29th and 30th day of gestation.After delivery, blood was collected from the newborns within 48 hrs.Gr.2 was subdivided into two groups,one was given hydrocortisone(20 mg/kg,0.5 ml)and the other saline(0.5 ml)on 1st,2nd,and 3rd day of age.Neonates were sacrificed at 72-120 hrs. of age.The results showed that the stimulation index in Gr.1 when cultured with PHA of 1:100 dilution was 11.15±2.14 saline treated vs. 2.43±1.0 in steroid treated group.This was statistically significant (p<0.005). Similar difference in stimulation index was found with PHA 1:1000 dilution,9.56±2.84 in saline vs. 1.54±0.18 in steroid group,p<.02. In Gr.2, the stimulation index both with PHA(1:100)and PHA(1:1000) was significantly depressed in the steroid group p<.05. Overall results are shown below.Besides PHA,Pokeweed mitogen was unable to show any evidence of stimulation in both prenatal and postnatal samples.This study demonstrates that steroid when administered prenatally or postnatally suppresses lymphocyte function in the rabbit neonate.
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Gupta, M., Vidyasagar, D., Zarif, M. et al. 700 EFFECT OF PRENATAL STEROID ON LYMPHOCYTE FUNCTION IN THE NEONATAL RABBIT. Pediatr Res 12 (Suppl 4), 480 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00705
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00705