Endotoxin-induced fetal growth retardation in the pregnant guinea pig.
OBJECTIVES: Our purpose was to test the hypothesis that bacterial endotoxin may reduce fetal growth and to assess some of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of such an effect. STUDY DESIGN: Two randomly selected groups of nine guinea pigs at 30 days' gestation were treated with a solution of endotoxin isolated from Bacteroides fragilis or with solvent alone. Antibody titers, glucose, triglycerides, and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha were determined in maternal or fetal blood samples. Fetal weight was determined at 61 days' gestation. RESULTS: Endotoxin-treated guinea pigs showed positive antiendotoxin antibody titers, reduced weight gain, and significantly higher serum levels of triglycerides and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha, but not of glucose, than did sham-treated controls. Fetuses of endotoxin-treated animals had significantly lower birth weights and serum glucose concentrations and significantly higher triglyceride levels than did control fetuses. CONCLUSIONS: Bacteroides fragilis endotoxin causes fetal growth retardation in the pregnant guinea pig, which may be due to alterations in carbohydrate and fat metabolism mediated by cytokine action.[1]References
- Endotoxin-induced fetal growth retardation in the pregnant guinea pig. Beckmann, I., Meisel-Mikołajczyk, F., Leszczynski, P., Brooijmans, M., Wallenburg, H.C. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. (1993) [Pubmed]
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