title: The impact of chronic intrauterine inflammation on the physiologic and neurodevelopmental consequences of intermittent umbilical cord occlusion in fetal sheep.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of intrauterine inflammation on fetal responses to umbilical cord occlusion (UCO).
  
  
  METHODS
  In pregnant sheep, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or saline (SAL) was infused intra-amniotically for 4 weeks from 80 days of gestation (d). At 110 d, fetuses were instrumented for UCOs (5 × 2-minutes, 30-minute intervals: LPS + UCO, n = 6; SAL + UCO, n = 8) or no UCO (sham, n = 6) on 117 and 118 d. Tissues were collected at 126 d.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fetal physiological responses to UCO were similar between LPS + UCO and SAL + UCO. Histologic chorioamnionitis and increased amniotic fluid interleukin 8 (IL-8) were observed in LPS + UCO pregnancies (versus SAL + UCO, P < .05). CNPase-positive oligodendrocyte number in the cerebral white matter was lower in LPS + UCO and SAL + UCO than sham (P < .05); there was no effect on astrocytes or activated microglia/macrophages. Two of the SAL + UCO fetuses had white matter lesions; none were observed in LPS + UCO or sham.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic pre-existing intrauterine inflammation did not exacerbate fetal brain injury induced by intermittent UCO.
authors.affiliation: 1School of Women's and Infants' Health, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Ilias
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nitsos
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Newnham
authors.forename: Sandra M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.forename: Timothy J M
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Moss
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005311:Fetal Hypoxia / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D005333:Fetus; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000473:pathology*