Hemodynamic changes during complete umbilical cord occlusion in fetal sheep related to hippocampal neuronal damage.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of our study was to examine the physiologic changes caused by 10 minutes of umbilical cord occlusion in fetal sheep and to determine the correlation between fetal acidemia or cerebral ischemia and hippocampal neuronal damage.


METHODS
Thirteen fetal sheep were instrumented and catheterized. Carotid artery blood flow (CaF), fetal mean arterial blood pressure (FMABP), pH, PCO (2), base excess, oxygen saturation (SatO(2)), and PO (2) were monitored throughout the occlusion study. Brain sections were examined for the hippocampal neuronal damage.


RESULTS
Our data showed severe ischemia (CaF: 10 +/- 7 mL/min; FMABP: 29 +/- 8 mm Hg) and acidemia (pH: 7.0 +/- 0.05; base excess: -9.9 +/- 2.4 mEq/L) at the end of occlusion. The neuronal damage score had significant correlations with ischemia and also with reperfusion, but not with the acidemic or hypoxic parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrated that the degree of hippocampal damage was correlated with the degree of ischemia and reperfusion.
Fujii
Eriko Y
EY
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, USA. fujii-e@ncchd.go.jp
Takahashi
Noriko
N
Kodama
Yuki
Y
Roman
Christine
C
Ferriero
Donna M
DM
Parer
Julian T
JT
D000143:Acids / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000196:embryology*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005312:Fetal Blood; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000196:embryology*; D007511:Ischemia / Q000196:embryology / Q000209:etiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000196:embryology; D012756:Sheep / Q000196:embryology; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000098:blood supply*
D000143:Acids