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Updated: Dec 9, 2025
A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
Published on: June 24, 2020
The effect of maternal protein restriction during perinatal life on the inflammatory response in pediatric rats
Ruud A W Veldhuizen1,2,3, Brandon Baer1, Lynda A McCaig3
1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
Fetal growth restriction alters lung inflammation responses in young rats. Growth-restricted rats showed increased surfactant levels and reduced neutrophil infiltration after a pulmonary insult.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Pediatric Research
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Fetal growth restriction (FGR) can negatively impact long-term health outcomes.
- The pulmonary system's response to inflammation in early life may be compromised by FGR.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if fetal growth restriction alters the pulmonary inflammatory response in pediatric rats.
- To examine lung inflammation and surfactant system status following an inflammatory insult in growth-restricted rats.
Main Methods:
- Rats were subjected to a low-protein diet during gestation and postnatal life to induce FGR.
- Growth-restricted and control rats received an intratracheal instillation of heat-killed bacteria to induce pulmonary inflammation.
- Lung tissue was analyzed for neutrophil infiltration and surfactant levels 6 hours post-insult.
Main Results:
- Growth-restricted rats exhibited significantly decreased neutrophil infiltration in the lungs compared to controls after the inflammatory insult.
- Surfactant levels were elevated in growth-restricted rats, irrespective of the inflammatory challenge.
- These findings indicate altered inflammatory and surfactant responses in FGR models.
Conclusions:
- Fetal growth restriction leads to an increase in pulmonary surfactant levels.
- The inflammatory response, specifically neutrophil infiltration, is modified in growth-restricted rats following a pulmonary insult.
- These alterations may have implications for respiratory health in individuals with a history of FGR.
Abstract:
Fetal growth restriction can affect health outcomes in postnatal life. This study tested the hypothesis that the response to an inflammatory pulmonary insult is altered in pediatric fetal growth restricted rats. Using a low-protein diet during gestation and postnatal life, growth-restricted male and female rats and healthy control rats were exposed to an inflammatory insult via the intratracheal instillation of heat-killed bacteria. After 6 h, animal lungs were examined for lung inflammation and status of the surfactant system. The results showed that in response to an inflammatory insult, neutrophil infiltration was decreased in both male and female rats in the growth-restricted animals compared with the control rats. The amount of surfactant was increased in the growth-restricted animals compared with the control rats, regardless of the inflammatory insult. It is concluded that fetal growth restriction results in increased surfactant and altered neutrophil responses following pulmonary insult.
