Temperature dependence of the maternal-fetal electrical potential difference in guinea pigs

An electrical potential difference (PD) is measured between maternal organism and fetus in the pregnant guinea pig. To investigate whether the PD is generated by active or passive forces these studies examined the temperature dependence of the PD in guinea pigs at 55-61 days gestation. Anesthesia was induced (ketamine, 44 mg/kg) and maintained (halothane, 1.5%) in 5 pregnant guinea pigs. The animals were subjected to alternating 1 hour periods of cooling and recovery, changing core body and intrauterine temperature about 5 degrees C. PD was monitored continuously with Ag/AgCl electrodes placed in the maternal abdominal cavity and the amniotic fluid. The resting PD (+/- SEM) was 24.1 +/- 2.8 mV. Analysis of covariance indicated that PD decreased slowly with time and increased significantly with lowered temperature. A second group of 4 guinea pigs was studied after beta blockade with propranolol (0.1 mg iv, repeated hourly). In this group the resting PD was 20.7 +/- 3.6 mV. The PD decreased gradually with time and decreased consistently during cooling. In the propranolol group the relation between PD and temperature yielded a calculated activation energy of 11.7 +/- 0.8 kcal/mol (Q10 = 1.9, 30-40 degrees C). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that at least some of the PD is generated by an energy-dependent electrogenic ion pump, or by selective passive diffusion of ions across a lipid membrane during which a significant energy barrier is overcome. They are not consistent with the generation of the PD exclusively by passive streaming of ions through water-filled channels. During cooling catecholamines are presumably released, favoring the generation of the PD.