Relationship between fetal hypoxia and endothelin-1 in fetal circulation

The role of endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor peptide secreted by endothelial cells, in fetal circulation was investigated in relation to fetal hypoxia. Umbilical venous blood was obtained from 23 subjects who delivered between 36 and 41 weeks of gestation. In all cases, pH of umbilical venous blood was measured immediately after the delivery of placenta. ET-1 was extracted from the umbilical venous plasma by an Amprep C2 column and determined by a specific radioimmunoassay. Immunoreactive ET levels in the umbilical cord plasma (pg/ml, mean +/- SEM) from subjects with umbilical venous blood pH levels below 7.30 (n = 9) were 12.53 +/- 2.03, significantly higher than those with pH levels above 7.30 (6.44 +/- 1.11, n = 14). These results indicate that ET-1 in the fetal circulation may be involved in the regulation of the circulation in response to changes in acid-base balance related to fetal hypoxia.