Miller Suzanne L, Sutherland Amy E, Supramaniam Veena G, Walker David W, Jenkin Graham, Wallace Euan M
The Ritchie Centre, Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Vic. 3168, Australia.
Reprod Fertil Dev. 2012;24(5):753-8. doi: 10.1071/RD11143.
Antenatal glucocorticoids are administered to mature the fetal lungs before preterm birth. Glucocorticoids also have non-pulmonary effects, including reducing fetal body and brain growth. The present study examined whether glucocorticoid administration has a sex-specific effect on growth in appropriately grown (control) and intrauterine growth-restricted (IUGR) fetal sheep. IUGR was induced at 0.7 gestation in fetal sheep by single umbilical artery ligation. On Days 5 and 6 after surgery, IUGR or control fetuses were exposed to the synthetic glucocorticoid betamethasone (BM; 11.4mg) or saline via intramuscular maternal administration. On Day 7, a postmortem was conducted to determine fetal sex and weight. Compared with control fetuses, the birthweight of male and female IUGR fetuses was significantly reduced (by 18.5±4.4% (P=0.002) and 21.7±6.0% (P=0.001), respectively). Maternal administration of BM significantly reduced bodyweight in both control and IUGR fetuses (by 11.3±2.8% and 20.5±3.6% in control male and female fetuses, respectively; and by 22.9±3.1% and 38.3±3.4% in IUGR male and female fetuses, respectively; P<0.001 for all, versus control+saline) fetuses. In control and IUGR animals the degree of growth restriction was greater in females than males (P<0.05) following administration of BM. These data suggest that antenatal glucocorticoids reduce fetal growth in a sex-specific manner, with females more growth restricted than males.
产前给予糖皮质激素可在早产前促进胎儿肺成熟。糖皮质激素也有非肺部效应，包括减少胎儿身体和脑部生长。本研究检测了给予糖皮质激素对生长正常（对照）和宫内生长受限（IUGR）的胎羊生长是否有性别特异性影响。通过结扎单根脐动脉在妊娠0.7时诱导胎羊发生IUGR。术后第5天和第6天，IUGR或对照胎儿通过母体肌肉注射接受合成糖皮质激素倍他米松（BM；11.4mg）或生理盐水。第7天，进行尸检以确定胎儿性别和体重。与对照胎儿相比，雄性和雌性IUGR胎儿的出生体重均显著降低（分别降低18.5±4.4%（P=0.002）和21.7±6.0%（P=0.001））。母体给予BM显著降低了对照和IUGR胎儿的体重（对照雄性和雌性胎儿分别降低11.3±2.8%和20.5±3.6%；IUGR雄性和雌性胎儿分别降低22.9±3.1%和38.3±3.4%；与对照+生理盐水组相比，所有组P<0.001）。在对照和IUGR动物中，给予BM后，雌性的生长受限程度大于雄性（P<0.05）。这些数据表明，产前糖皮质激素以性别特异性方式降低胎儿生长，雌性比雄性生长受限更明显。
