Acute physiopathological and histopathological effects of fetal distress on the fetal stomach: an experimental study

Although effects of stress on the stomach have been extensively investigated in children and adults, our knowledge about effects of fetal distress (FD) on the fetal stomach is quite limited. Therefore, an experimental study was planned to evaluate the effects of FD on fetal gastric physiology and histology. In this study, a model of FD was created by way of intermittent maternal aortic occlusion in pregnant rabbits. In total, 21 fetuses of 6 pregnant rabbits were available for surgical and laboratory procedures. Laboratory examinations showed that (1) fetal gastric acid secretion was 4.24 +/- 2.68 muEq/h in the control group and 18.08 +/- 6.34 muEq/h in the distress group (p < 0.01) and (2) fetal gastric PGE2 level was 16.59 +/- 6.15 mg/g wet weight in the control group and 9.86 +/- 3.46 mg/g wet weight in the distress group (p < 0.05). Histopathologically, there were mild hemorrhagic and errosive changes in the distressed fetuses, but not in control fetuses. These findings support that FD adversely affects fetal gastric physiology through two mechanisms consisting of increased gastric acid secretion and decreased fetal gastric protection in rabbits. Consequently, gastric injury should be noted as a potential problem among hypoxia-associated abnormalities encountered in the distressed fetus.