Fetal hypoxia increases vulnerability of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in neonatal rats: role of glucocorticoid receptors.

ABSTRACT: Gestational hypoxia is a common stress to the fetal development and increases the risk of neonatal morbidity. The present study tested the hypothesis that fetal hypoxia results in heightened brain vulnerability to hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury in neonatal rats via down-regulation of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the developing brain. Time-dated pregnant rats were exposed to hypoxia (10.5% O2) from days 15 to 21 of gestation. Brain HI injury was determined in day 10 pups. Maternal hypoxia resulted in asymmetric intrauterine growth restriction in the fetus. The brain HI injury was significantly increased in maternal hypoxia-treated pups as compared with the normoxia control in both males and females. Activation of brain GR by dexamethasone injection into the right lateral ventricle produced

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez-Rodriguez PJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3990589 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature