title: Fetal plasma prostaglandin F(2alpha) and cortisol responses to high-dose endotoxin administration in fetal goats.
abstract: Intrauterine inflammation/infection has been associated with prenatal mortality and morbidity. However, few studies have been performed to investigate how the fetus responds to intrauterine inflammation/infection in utero. In the present study, fetal plasma prostaglandin (PG) F(2alpha) and cortisol responses to high-dose fetal endotoxin administration were evaluated in late gestation goats (n=8). After 160 microg/kg of fetal weight of endotoxin (Escherichia coli, O111:B4 lipopolysaccharide) administration via the fetal jugular vein over a 5-min period, fetal plasma PGF(2alpha) and cortisol levels, fetal blood gases and pH were measured periodically. After endotoxin administration, fetal plasma cortisol levels significantly increased to 9.5+/-0.8 ng/mL and 9.3+/-0.7 ng/mL after 1 and 3h, respectively (p<0.05) and plasma PGF(2alpha) levels did not change throughout the study. These results suggest that absent PGF(2alpha) and attenuated cortisol responses to high-dose fetal endotoxin administration, relative to the adult, may be a self-protective mechanism that diminishes premature delivery and fetal asphyxia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoneyama
authors.forename: Rintaro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sawa
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Araki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000097:blood*; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D006041:Goats; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins; D015237:Dinoprost; D006854:Hydrocortisone