Abstract
A syndrome of pulmonary vascular obstruction in the newborn human in which massive right to left shunting occurs through the ductus arteriosus has been recently described. In an effort to simulate the syndrome in an animal model, pregnant rats were maintained in atmospheres containing 13%, 40% and 20% oxygen. The remainder of the atmosphere was nitrogen. In all other respects, pregnant rats were treated the same. Pregnant rats were removed from their experimental atmospheres during delivery so that all newborns were delivered into room air. Newborn rats were sacrified at birth, the fourth, fifth, tenth, twelth, thirteenth and twenty-first days of life. The entire lung was sectioned and stained so that intima and media could be easily distinguished. The medial to diameter ratio of all arteries between 50–150 microns (total = 474) were measured according to the technique of Wagenvoort. The mean ratio of neonatal arteries of progency of hypoxic mothers was significantly thicker for each size group than those born of control or hyperoxic mothers. Thickening was most pronounced in the smallest arteries. Control and hyperoxic artery groups were similar. Medial thickness decreased in all vessels with age; this decrease was greatest in the control and hyperoxic groups. This study demonstrates that maternal hypoxia produces quantitative changes in the fetal and newborn pulmonary arteries.
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Goldberg, S., Levy, R., Siassi, B. et al. Alteration of fetal pulmonary vasculature by maternal hypoxia. Pediatr Res 5, 425–426 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197108000-00228
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197108000-00228