The effect of fetal hypoxia on adrenocortical function in the 7-day-old rat. Endocrine 2000 Aug;13(1):111-6
Date
10/29/2000Pubmed ID
11051054DOI
10.1385/ENDO:13:1:111Scopus ID
2-s2.0-0033827366 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 6 CitationsAbstract
Fetal hypoxia in late gestation is a common cause of postnatal morbidity. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate adrenal function in vivo and in vitro in 7-d-old rat pups previously exposed to normoxia or hypoxia (12% O2) during the last 2-3 d of gestation. Seven-day-old rats exposed to fetal hypoxia had a small, but significant decrease in plasma aldosterone despite no decreases in plasma ACTH or renin activity. There was a small (approx 20%) but significant decrease in the aldosterone and corticosterone response to cAMP in vitro in dispersed cells from 7-d-old pups exposed to fetal hypoxia. The aldosterone, corticosterone, and cAMP response to ACTH, however, was not altered by prior fetal hypoxia. There was also no effect of fetal hypoxia on steroidogenic enzyme expression or zonal dimension in 7-d-old rats. We conclude that fetal hypoxia in late gestation results in a subtle decrease in cAMP-stimulated steroidogenesis. Fetal hypoxia appears to have minimal effects on subsequent adrenal function in the neonatal rat.
Author List
Raff H, Bruder ED, Jankowski BM, Engeland WCAuthor
Hershel Raff PhD Professor in the Academic Affairs department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Adrenal CortexAdrenocorticotropic Hormone
Aldosterone
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases
Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme
Corticosterone
Cyclic AMP
Cytochrome P-450 CYP2B1
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System
Female
Fetal Hypoxia
Gestational Age
Pregnancy
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
RNA, Messenger
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Renin
Steroid Hydroxylases
