Biomaterial Database

Exercise during pregnancy and maternal and fetal plasma corticosterone and androstenedione in rats. 1996

K A Carlberg, and B L Alvin, and A R Gwosdow

Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney 99004, USA. kcarlberg@ewu.edu

Adrenocortical glucocorticoid and androgen secretion is stimulated by exercise. Excesses of these hormones in fetuses can cause abnormalities in development. We measured maternal and fetal plasma corticosterone and androstenedione concentrations in Sprague-Dawley rats immediately after maternal exercise in exercise-trained mothers and at rest in sedentary mothers. To do this, we developed a technique for fetal blood sampling and assessed its effect on maternal and fetal plasma corticosterone concentrations. Under halothane anesthesia, maternal blood was collected by cardiac puncture and fetal blood was collected from carotid and jugular vessels. Corticosterone was not affected by the blood collection procedure. Corticosterone was significantly higher in exercised mothers and their fetuses after 30 min of running than in sedentary mothers and their fetuses at rest. Androstenedione was significantly higher in exercised mothers after 30 min of running than in sedentary mothers at rest, but fetal androstenedione was not different between groups. We conclude that this maternal exercise protocol elevates plasma corticosterone but not androstenedione concentrations in fetal rats.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010805	Physical Conditioning, Animal	Diet modification and physical exercise to improve the ability of animals to perform physical activities.	Animal Physical Conditioning,Animal Physical Conditionings,Conditioning, Animal Physical,Conditionings, Animal Physical,Physical Conditionings, Animal
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011270	Pregnancy, Animal	The process of bearing developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero in non-human mammals, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Animal Pregnancies,Animal Pregnancy,Pregnancies, Animal
D011869	Radioligand Assay	Quantitative determination of receptor (binding) proteins in body fluids or tissue using radioactively labeled binding reagents (e.g., antibodies, intracellular receptors, plasma binders).	Protein-Binding Radioassay,Radioreceptor Assay,Assay, Radioligand,Assay, Radioreceptor,Assays, Radioligand,Assays, Radioreceptor,Protein Binding Radioassay,Protein-Binding Radioassays,Radioassay, Protein-Binding,Radioassays, Protein-Binding,Radioligand Assays,Radioreceptor Assays
D003345	Corticosterone	An adrenocortical steroid that has modest but significant activities as a mineralocorticoid and a glucocorticoid. (From Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 8th ed, p1437)
D005082	Physical Exertion	Expenditure of energy during PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. Intensity of exertion may be measured by rate of OXYGEN CONSUMPTION; HEAT produced, or HEART RATE. Perceived exertion, a psychological measure of exertion, is included.	Physical Effort,Effort, Physical,Efforts, Physical,Exertion, Physical,Exertions, Physical,Physical Efforts,Physical Exertions
D005260	Female		Females
D005312	Fetal Blood	Blood of the fetus. Exchange of nutrients and waste between the fetal and maternal blood occurs via the PLACENTA. The cord blood is blood contained in the umbilical vessels (UMBILICAL CORD) at the time of delivery.	Cord Blood,Umbilical Cord Blood,Blood, Cord,Blood, Fetal,Blood, Umbilical Cord,Bloods, Cord,Bloods, Fetal,Bloods, Umbilical Cord,Cord Blood, Umbilical,Cord Bloods,Cord Bloods, Umbilical,Fetal Bloods,Umbilical Cord Bloods
D005333	Fetus	The unborn young of a viviparous mammal, in the postembryonic period, after the major structures have been outlined. In humans, the unborn young from the end of the eighth week after CONCEPTION until BIRTH, as distinguished from the earlier EMBRYO, MAMMALIAN.	Fetal Structures,Fetal Tissue,Fetuses,Mummified Fetus,Retained Fetus,Fetal Structure,Fetal Tissues,Fetus, Mummified,Fetus, Retained,Structure, Fetal,Structures, Fetal,Tissue, Fetal,Tissues, Fetal
D000735	Androstenedione	A delta-4 C19 steroid that is produced not only in the TESTIS, but also in the OVARY and the ADRENAL CORTEX. Depending on the tissue type, androstenedione can serve as a precursor to TESTOSTERONE as well as ESTRONE and ESTRADIOL.	4-Androstene-3,17-dione,delta-4-Androstenedione,4 Androstene 3,17 dione,delta 4 Androstenedione