title: Intra-amniotic administration of E coli lipopolysaccharides causes sustained inflammation of the fetal skin in sheep.
abstract: Preterm birth is associated with in utero infection and inflammation. Although the fetal membranes and fetus contribute to the intra-amniotic inflammatory profile, the relationships between a proinflammatory exposure to the fetal compartment and cytokine expression in the fetal skin are unknown. Using an ovine model, we asked whether the fetal skin would generate an extended response to inflammatory stimuli. Relative to control, intra-amniotic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced significant increases in cytokine/chemokine (interleukin 1β, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1) expression in skin that lasted for at least 15 days. Histological analysis demonstrated inflammatory cell infiltration in skin between 2 days and 15 days post-LPS exposure. In contrast to the fetal lung, the fetal skin continues to express proinflammatory cytokines for at least 15 days after exposure to LPS. These novel data suggest that the fetal skin may cause prolonged in utero inflammatory response causally associated with preterm birth.
authors.affiliation: School of Women's and Infants' Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia. lzhang@meddent.uwa.edu.au
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jobe
authors.forename: Suhas G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kallapur
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Newnham
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Huixia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Matthew W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Kemp
mesh_terms: D000650:Amnion / Q000187:drug effects; D000653:Amniotic Fluid; D000818:Animals; D018925:Chemokines / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000209:etiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004926:Escherichia coli; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D015870:Gene Expression; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000209:etiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D012333:RNA, Messenger