title: Disturbances in Maternal Steroidogenesis and Appearance of Intrauterine Growth Retardation at High-Altitude Environments Are Established from Early Pregnancy. Effects of Treatment with Antioxidant Vitamins.
abstract: Pregnancies at high-altitudes are influenced by hypoxia and oxidative stress and frequently affected by IUGR. However, a common thought is that early pregnant women visiting altitude have no major complications for gestation development, since IUGR is developed during the second half of pregnancy. Thus, using a well-characterized sheep-model, we aimed to determine whether long- and/or short-term exposure to high-altitude may affect maternal steroidogenesis and therefore embryo-fetal growth from conception. The second aim was to differentiate the relative role of hypoxia and oxidative stress by assessing the effects of supplementation with antioxidant agents during this early-pregnancy stage, which were previously found to be useful to prevent IUGR. The results indicate that both long- and short-term exposure to high-altitude causes disturbances in maternal ovarian steroidogenesis and negatively affects embryo-fetal growth already during the very early stages of gestation, with the consequences being even worsened in newcomers to high-altitude. The supply of antioxidant during this period only showed discrete effects for preventing IUGR. In conclusion, the present study gives a warning for clinicians about the risks for early-pregnant women when visiting high-altitude regions and suggests the need for further studies on the effects of the length of exposure and on the interaction of the exposure with the pregnancy stage.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Chile, Casilla 2, Correo 15, La Granja, Santiago, Chile.|Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Chile, Casilla 2, Correo 15, La Granja, Santiago, Chile.|International Centre for Andean Studies, University of Chile, Casilla 2, Correo 15, La Granja, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Victor H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Parraguez
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Chile, Casilla 2, Correo 15, La Granja, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mamani
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Chile, Casilla 2, Correo 15, La Granja, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cofré
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Chile, Casilla 2, Correo 15, La Granja, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castellaro
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Chile, Casilla 2, Correo 15, La Granja, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Bessie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Urquieta
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Chile, Casilla 2, Correo 15, La Granja, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Los Reyes
authors.affiliation: Comparative Physiology Lab, SGIT-INIA, Av. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Astiz
authors.affiliation: Comparative Physiology Lab, SGIT-INIA, Av. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.|Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Bulnes
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004958:Estradiol / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000860:Hypoxia; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011374:Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D012756:Sheep; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014815:Vitamins; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol