The effect of hypoxia on NGF expression in the aorta and femoral artery in the growth restricted sheep fetus
Date
2008
Authors
Snell, A.
McMillen, I.C.
Gentili, S.
Morrison, J.L.
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Reproductive Sciences, 2008; 15(1, article no. 224):124-
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Objective: Intrauterine growth restriction is associated with an increased riskof developing cardiovascular disease during adult life. We have previouslydemonstrated that the restriction of placental and fetal growth results in fetalhypoxia and fetal brain sparing suggesting a redistribution of cardiac output.Furthermore, placentally restricted (PR) hypoxic fetuses are more dependenton their sympathetic nervous system for the maintenance of blood pressureduring late gestation. Nerve growth factor (NGF) plays a significant role insympathetic innervation
Hypothesis: We hypothesize that the expression of NGF will be higher in theaorta and femoral artery of the PR hypoxic compared to the control fetus
Method: Carunclectomy was performed in 6 non-pregnant ewes to induce PR.Vascular catheters were inserted in 6 PR and 4 control (C) fetuses at 103-117dand arterial blood samples were collected for blood gas analysis. All PR fetuses were chronically hypoxic (mean gestational arterial PO2<17mmHg). Postmortem was performed at 139-141d. NGF mRNA expression was determinedby qRT-PCR
RESULTS: Fetal weight (C, 4.3± 0.3kg; PR, 2.5± 0.3kg) and mean gestationalarterial PO2 (C, 20.6± 1.9; PR, 12.7 ±0.8mmHg) were significantly lower inPR fetuses (P<0.01). There was no difference in the expression of NGF inthe aorta (C, 0.0001±2.8x10-5; PR, 0.0001±1.3x10-5) or femoral artery (C,0.001±0.0002; PR, 0.001±0.0002) between the normoxic control and hypoxicPR fetal sheep
CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that NGF expression at 139-141dgestation is not higher in the vasculature of the hypoxic fetus at a time when themaintenance of arterial blood pressure is more dependent on the sympatheticnervous system in the IUGR fetus
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Copyright 2008 Sage Publications