title: Chemical changes in human skeletal muscle during fetal development.
abstract: Skeletal muscle samples obtained from 6 nonmacerated stillborn fetuses and 18 liveborn neonates who died within 24 h of birth were analyzed. Gestational age ranged from 19 to 44 weeks. 17 neonates were normally grown (NG) and 7 were intrauterine growth retarded (IGR). Chemical components were expressed in milliliters or grams per 100 g of tissue. As gestation progressed, total water (TW) and extracellular water (ECW) contents decreased, intracellular water (ICW) content and nitrogen content remained stable, and intracellular/total water ratio (ICW/TW) increased. Fat content was negligible throughout gestation. Compared to their NG peers, IGR neonates had muscle with decreased ECW and increased ICW/TX, whereas TW, ICW and nitrogen contents were similar. These preliminary data provide a basis for further studies of muscle composition and for discussion of existing hypotheses on the effect of fetal growth retardation upon body composition.
mesh_terms: D001823:Body Composition; D001834:Body Water / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000196:embryology*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D009584:Nitrogen