title: Studies on the growth of the fetal sheep. The effects of reduction of placental size on hormone concentration in fetal plasma.
abstract: Intrauterine growth retardation was induced in sheep by removal of endometrial caruncles before pregnancy. At a second operation catheters were implanted into the ewe and fetus at 105-135 days of pregnancy. Three groups of fetuses: low birthweight-for-dates (small caruncle) normal birthweight-for dates (normal sized caruncle) and controls have been compared. The concentration of ACTH (60 +/- 6.9 pg/ml) in the normal-sized caruncle fetuses were lower in the controls (144 +/- 4.7 pg/ml) or small caruncle fetuses (142 +/- 53 pg/ml). Basal cortisol concentrations were similar in the controls (7.3 +/- 1.2 ng/ml) and normal-sized caruncle fetuses (6.5 +/- 0.5 ng/ml) but those in the small caruncle fetuses were significantly higher (12.7 +/- 1.0 ng/ml, P less than 0.001). The concentration of insulin correlated with plasma glucose and the mean concentrations were 19.2 +/- 1.6 mu units/ml (controls), 8.4 +/- 2.6 mu units/ml (normal-sized caruncle) and 3.9 +/- 1.6 mu units/ml (controls), 8.4 +/- 2.6 mu units/ml (normal-sized caruncle) and 3.9 +/- 1.6 mu units/ml (small caruncle). Prolactin was significantly lower in the small caruncle fetuses (2.1 +/- 0.3 ng/ml) compared to the controls (66.6 19.4 ng/ml) or normal-sized caruncles (76.1 +/- 38 ng/ml) but growth hormone concentrations in the small caruncle.
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000032:analysis*; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D010920:Placenta / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012756:Sheep; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006728:Hormones; D007328:Insulin; D013002:Somatomedins; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D011388:Prolactin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone