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Endotoxin-induced fetal growth retardation in the pregnant guinea pig
I Beckmann1, F Meisel-Mikołajczyk, P Leszczynski
1Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Objectives:
Our purpose was to test the hypothesis that bacterial endotoxin may reduce fetal growth and to assess some of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of such an effect.
Study Design:
Two randomly selected groups of nine guinea pigs at 30 days' gestation were treated with a solution of endotoxin isolated from Bacteroides fragilis or with solvent alone. Antibody titers, glucose, triglycerides, and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha were determined in maternal or fetal blood samples. Fetal weight was determined at 61 days' gestation.
Results:
Endotoxin-treated guinea pigs showed positive antiendotoxin antibody titers, reduced weight gain, and significantly higher serum levels of triglycerides and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha, but not of glucose, than did sham-treated controls. Fetuses of endotoxin-treated animals had significantly lower birth weights and serum glucose concentrations and significantly higher triglyceride levels than did control fetuses.
Conclusions:
Bacteroides fragilis endotoxin causes fetal growth retardation in the pregnant guinea pig, which may be due to alterations in carbohydrate and fat metabolism mediated by cytokine action.