title: Intrauterine Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Chorioamnionitis in a Sheep: Does It Affect the Auditory System?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fetal exposure to in utero inflammation such as chorioamnionitis is related to central nervous system injury. We hypothesized that chorioamnionitis can provoke inflammatory changes in the perilymph and alter hearing outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant ewes were randomized into 2 groups: intrauterine injection with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; n = 19) or saline (n = 21). In the first experiment, fetal perilymph samples were taken for cytokine analysis. In the second experiment, consecutive bone-conducted auditory brain stem responses were obtained from 1 to 7 months after birth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Perilymph samples showed a significant elevation in interleukin 8 in the LPS group. Auditory brain stem response analysis demonstrated higher response thresholds and a prolongation of absolute peak V and interpeak intervals I to V and III to V in the LPS group compared to sham treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirms the hypothesis that an intrauterine inflammation by LPS can result in a fetal perilymphatic inflammatory response and functional impaired hearing outcomes after birth in a sheep model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands a.l.smit-9@umcutrecht.nl.
authors.forename: Adriana L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Verena A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Lambermont
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Stokroos
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lucien J C
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Anteunis
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands Department of Methodology and Statistics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Michelene N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Chenault
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Simone M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Luke W G
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Schoenmakers
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands School of Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kremer
authors.affiliation: School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands School of Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Boris W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Kramer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010498:Perilymph / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D016209:Interleukin-8; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides
keywords: auditory brain stem responses; chorioamnionitis; hearing loss; lipopolysaccharide; perilymph; sheep