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Alterations in oxytocin prohormone processing during early development in the fetal sheep
1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157.
The American Journal of Physiology
|September 1, 1992
Summary
Oxytocin (OT) prohormone processing changes during fetal development in sheep. Levels of extended OT forms decrease, indicating developmental shifts in hormone maturation.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Endocrinology
- Developmental Physiology
Background:
- Oxytocin (OT) is a crucial neurohormone involved in various physiological processes.
- Understanding OT prohormone processing is key to comprehending its developmental regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental changes in oxytocin (OT) prohormone processing in fetal sheep.
- To quantify arterial and venous levels of different OT peptide forms throughout gestation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized specific antisera to measure amidated and COOH-terminal extended OT forms in fetal sheep plasma.
- Collected plasma samples at 94 and 138 days of gestation from fetal sheep.
- Analyzed umbilical artery-umbilical vein differences for OT peptides.
Main Results:
- Plasma levels of COOH-terminal extended OT forms (OT-X) were significantly higher in early gestation (94 days) compared to late gestation (138 days).
- The ratio of OT-X to amidated OT was markedly higher in younger fetuses, indicating altered prohormone processing.
- Developmental changes in umbilical artery-umbilical vein differences suggest altered peptide transport or metabolism.
Conclusions:
- Fetal sheep exhibit significant developmental changes in oxytocin (OT) prohormone processing.
- These alterations are reflected in the relative abundance of prohormone and amidated hormone forms in fetal plasma.
- The findings provide insights into the regulation of oxytocin during fetal development.