Journal article
The effect of adrenalectomy on the cardiac response to subacute fetal anemia
Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology, Vol.89(2), pp.79-88
02/2011
DOI: 10.1139/Y10-108
PMCID: PMC3097906
PMID: 21326338
Abstract
The mechanisms that stimulate fetal heart growth during anemia are unknown. To examine the hypothesis that adrenal hormones contribute to this process, we determined the effects of adrenalectomy (Adx) on heart growth and the activation of cardiac mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in the presence and absence of fetal anemia. To identify mechanisms contributing to the initiation of cardiac growth, the duration of anemia was limited to a period shorter than that previously described to result in increased cardiac mass. Four groups of fetal sheep were studied (Adx-Anemic, Adx-Control, Intact-Anemic, Intact-Control). Anemia was created by daily controlled hemorrhage for 5 days;; hearts were collected for analysis at 133 d gestation (term 145 d). Cardiomyocyte morphometry, immunohistochemistry for Ki-67 (proliferation marker), and Western blotting for protein levels of MAPKs and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were performed. Blood pressure, heart rate, heart weight-to-body weight ratio, and cardiomyocyte length and width remained similar among groups throughout the study. PCNA levels in the Adx-Anemic group were twice as high as in any other group (both ventricles, p < 0.05). Levels of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) were ~60% higher in the Intact-Anemic and Adx-Anemic groups, compared with the Intact-Control and Adx-Control groups (p < 0.02). These results suggest that adrenal hormones may attenuate fetal cardiomyocyte proliferation in response to anemia (as evidenced by the increased PCNA in Adx-Anemic fetuses) and that phosphorylation of myocardial ERK results from fetal anemia, irrespective of the status of the fetal adrenal gland.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The effect of adrenalectomy on the cardiac response to subacute fetal anemia
- Creators
- Sonnet S Jonker - Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USAThomas D Scholz - Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USAJeffrey L Segar - Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology, Vol.89(2), pp.79-88
- DOI
- 10.1139/Y10-108
- PMID
- 21326338
- PMCID
- PMC3097906
- NLM abbreviation
- Can J Physiol Pharmacol
- ISSN
- 0008-4212
- eISSN
- 1205-7541
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 02/2011
- Academic Unit
- Cardiology; Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center; Child and Community Health
- Record Identifier
- 9984093374102771
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