The precise source of circulating catecholamine (CA) at birth and their role in circulatory adaptation is unclear. In order to determine the contribution of increased postganglionic sympathetic nerve activity to the CA surge at birth, we induced complete sympathectomy in near term fetal lambs prior to delivery by giving 6-hydroxydopamine. Chronically catheterized fetal sheep received either 6-hydroxydopamine (n = 5) or control infusion (n = 6). Chemical sympathectomy was verified by tyramine infusion. Lambs were delivered at 142 +/- 1 days of gestation and serial plasma CA, heart rate, blood pressure, cardiac output, blood gases, blood glucose, and free fatty acids, were measured before and for 4 h after delivery. Myocardial beta-adrenergic receptors and tissue CA concentration were determined following sacrifice. Baseline circulating norepinephrine (NE) values were lower in sympathectomized animals (183 +/- 45 versus 373 +/- 125 pg/ml, p less than 0.05) and epinephrine values were slightly higher (118 +/- 89 versus 48 +/- 1 pg/ml, NS). There was only a 2-fold increase in NE after cord cutting in sympathectomized animals while control animals had a 4-fold increase (peak NE values 354 +/- 121 versus 1305 +/- 363 pg/ml respectively, p less than 0.001). Epinephrine increased significantly in both groups and there were no significant differences between sympathectomized and control animals. Heart rate and blood pressure rose abruptly in both groups after cord cutting and there were no significant differences.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)