Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2013 Nov;40(11):789-94. doi: 10.1111/1440-1681.12095.
A reduced nephron endowment early in life adversely impacts on long-term functional reserve in the kidney. A recent study has shown that acute exposure to chorioamnionitis during late gestation can adversely impact on nephrogenesis. The present study aimed to examine the effects of chronic, low-dose endotoxin exposure in utero, during the period of nephrogenesis, on nephron number and glomerular size in preterm lambs. Ewes were administered either endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide; 1 mg/day) or saline at 110-133 days of gestation (term approximately 147 days) via surgically implanted osmotic minipumps within the amniotic cavity. The ewes were induced to deliver preterm at 133 days gestation and the kidneys of the lambs were analysed at 8 weeks after term-equivalent age. Nephron number per kidney was determined using a combined optical disector and fractionator stereological approach; renal corpuscle size was also measured stereologically. At 8 weeks after term-equivalent age there was no significant effect of in utero exposure to endotoxin on bodyweight or kidney weight and there were no significant differences in nephron number, nephron density or renal corpuscle volume between groups. We conclude that chronic intrauterine inflammation during the period of nephrogenesis may not adversely impact on the number of nephrons formed within the kidney or on the volume of the renal corpuscle.
生命早期肾单位数量减少会对肾脏的长期功能储备产生不利影响。最近的一项研究表明，妊娠晚期急性绒毛膜羊膜炎暴露会对肾发生产生不利影响。本研究旨在探讨在肾发生期间宫内慢性、低剂量内毒素暴露对早产羔羊肾单位数量和肾小球大小的影响。在妊娠 110-133 天（足月约 147 天）时，通过羊膜腔内植入的手术渗透微型泵，向母羊给予内毒素（脂多糖；1mg/天）或生理盐水。在妊娠 133 天诱导母羊早产，在足月等效年龄 8 周后分析羔羊的肾脏。使用光学割面和分区分体学结合的方法确定每个肾脏的肾单位数量；还通过体视学法测量肾小体大小。在足月等效年龄 8 周时，宫内暴露于内毒素对体重或肾脏重量没有显著影响，各组间肾单位数量、肾单位密度或肾小体体积也无显著差异。我们的结论是，肾发生期间宫内慢性炎症可能不会对肾脏内形成的肾单位数量或肾小体体积产生不利影响。
