title: Plasma and renal renin concentrations in adult sheep after prenatal betamethasone exposure.
abstract: This study examined whether renin expression and secretion and plasma angiotensin II (Ang II) levels were altered in adult sheep exposed to antenatal betamethasone. Pregnant sheep received injections of 0.17 mg/kg betamethasone or vehicle, at 80 and 81 days of gestation, and offspring were studied at 6 and 18 months of age. At 6 months, plasma prorenin concentrations were significantly lower in betamethasone animals (4.63 +/- 0.64 vs 7.09 +/- 0.83 ng angiotensin I/mL/h, P < .01). The percentage of plasma active renin was significantly higher in the betamethasone group (31.93 +/- 4.09% vs 18.57 +/- 2.79%, P < .01). Plasma and renocortical renin levels were similar in both groups at 18 months, but plasma renin activity was lower than at 6 months. Ang II levels were suppressed by betamethasone. The data indicate that prenatal exposure to betamethasone alters processing and secretion of renin in offspring at 6 months, but that this difference is not apparent at 18 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center of Research for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kantorowicz
authors.forename: Nancy K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Valego
authors.forename: LiJun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Jorge P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Figueroa
authors.forename: Mark C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chappell
authors.forename: Luke C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rose
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007672:Kidney Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D012756:Sheep / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D001623:Betamethasone; D012083:Renin