Williams M T, Davis H N, McCrea A E, Long S J, Hennessy M B
Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA.
Neurotoxicol Teratol. 1999 Jul-Aug;21(4):403-14. doi: 10.1016/s0892-0362(98)00060-9.
Human and animal studies indicate that stress during pregnancy can exert long-term effects on the development of the offspring, effects that appear to be mediated in part by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In this experiment changes in levels of a variety of HPA and other hormones in both pregnant rats and their fetuses were investigated. Trunk blood was collected from pregnant females and fetuses following repeated 45-min presentations of restraint, bright lights, and heat during the third trimester. In addition, testes were harvested from the male fetuses. Hormone concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay. Pregnant females had elevated titers of plasma corticosterone, aldosterone, and ACTH for approximately 15 min following termination of the stressor. No differences were found for beta-endorphin or prolactin. Fetuses showed a pattern of changes in plasma corticosterone and aldosterone that was similar to that of pregnant females, but no effect was observed for fetal ACTH titers. These results are consistent with a role of the HPA axis in the effects of gestational stress. Testicular levels of CRF on gestational day 21 were lower in fetuses of stressed females than in those of nonstressed females. The reduced levels of testicular CRF suggest that CRF may be involved in the altered pattern of sexual differentiation of males stressed during gestation.
人类和动物研究表明，孕期压力会对后代的发育产生长期影响，这些影响似乎部分是由下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴介导的。在本实验中，研究了怀孕大鼠及其胎儿体内多种HPA和其他激素水平的变化。在妊娠晚期，对怀孕雌性大鼠和胎儿进行45分钟的束缚、强光和热刺激，重复刺激后采集母鼠和胎儿的躯干血。此外，从雄性胎儿身上采集睾丸。通过放射免疫分析法测定激素浓度。应激源终止后，怀孕雌性大鼠的血浆皮质酮、醛固酮和促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）滴度升高约15分钟。β-内啡肽或催乳素未发现差异。胎儿血浆皮质酮和醛固酮的变化模式与怀孕雌性大鼠相似，但未观察到胎儿ACTH滴度有变化。这些结果与HPA轴在孕期应激影响中的作用一致。应激雌性大鼠胎儿在妊娠第21天睾丸中的促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子（CRF）水平低于非应激雌性大鼠胎儿。睾丸CRF水平降低表明，CRF可能参与了孕期应激雄性胎儿性分化模式的改变。
