Elevated cortisol concentration in preterm sheep fetuses impacts heart development.

ABSTRACT: The prepartum rise in cortisol promotes cardiac development and maturation. Here, we investigated the impact of elevated circulating cortisol during mid-late gestation on cardiac growth and metabolism in fetal sheep. Saline or cortisol (2-3 mg in 4.4 mL/24 h) was infused into the fetal jugular vein from 109 to 116 days gestation (dG, term = 150 dG), and fetal heart tissue was collected at 116 dG. Glucocorticoid concentrations, gene and protein expression were measured in fetal left ventricle (LV) tissue. Intrafetal cortisol infusion increased cardiac cortisol concentration but downregulated the protein abundance of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) isoforms (GRα-A, GR-P, GR-A, GRα-D2 and GRα-D3). The gene and protein expression of markers of cardiac hyperplastic growth (IGF1, IGF-1R, TGFβ and A

SUBMITTER: Amanollahi R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12665941 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature