title: Indomethacin antagonizes the ethanol-induced suppression of breathing activity but not the suppression of brain activity in the near-term fetal sheep.
abstract: The effect of indomethacin on the ethanol-induced suppression of fetal breathing movements, low-voltage electrocortical (ECoG) activity, and electro-ocular (EOG) activity was studied in the near-term fetal sheep. Ten conscious instrumented pregnant ewes (between 129 and 131 days of gestation; term, 147 days) received 1-h maternal intravenous infusion of 1 g ethanol/kg total body weight and simultaneous fetal treatment with either indomethacin (2 mg/kg fetal body weight/h) (n = 5) or an equivalent volume of phosphate buffer (n = 5) intravenously for 9 h. Fetal ECoG activity, EOG activity, and fetal breathing movements were monitored continuously over the experimental periods. In animals treated with ethanol and buffer (n = 5), fetal breathing movements were suppressed for 8 h and low-voltage ECoG and EOG activity was suppressed for 2 h below preinfusion levels. In animals treated with ethanol and indomethacin (n = 5), fetal breathing movements were elevated for 13 h but low-voltage ECoG and EOG activity remained suppressed for 3 h below preinfusion levels. The data suggests that indomethacin can antagonize the ethanol-induced suppression of fetal breathing movements, but does not alter the ethanol-induced suppression of ECoG or EOG activity.
authors.affiliation: Lawson Research Institute, St. Joseph's Health Center, University of Western Ontario London, Canada.
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Brien
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Homan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carmichael
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Patrick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects*; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D007213:Indomethacin