title: Effect of dexamethasone on mitochondrial maturation in the fetal rat brain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the present study was to explore whether prenatal dexamethasone treatment influences mitochondrial maturation in the fetal rat brain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mitochondrial respiration was measured polarographically with homogenates of fetal cerebral cortical tissues on day 16 (with saline solution, n = 8; with dexamethasone, n = 8), day 18 (with saline solution, n = 8; with dexamethasone, n = 8), and day 20 (with saline solution, n = 8; with dexamethasone,n = 8) of gestation. Four doses of dexamethasone (0.1 mg small middle dot kg) or vehicle (saline solution) were given, with an interval of 12 hours, until 12 hours before each measurement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the vehicle-treated animals, mitochondrial respiratory activity was increased significantly after day 18 of gestation. Dexamethasone-treated animals showed a significant increase in mitochondrial activity at day 16 of gestation compared with vehicle-treated animals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that prenatal dexamethasone treatment contributes to the precocious maturation of mitochondrial activity in the fetal rat brain. Because acceleration in cerebral mitochondrial activities is required immediately after birth to maintain high-energy phosphate levels, the precocious maturation may be crucial for the successful outcome of the preterm infant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan. nakai-3@nms.ac.jp
authors.forename: Akihito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakai
authors.forename: Yukino
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shibazaki
authors.forename: Yoshinari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taniuchi
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oya
authors.forename: Hirobumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asakura
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koshino
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Araki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone