[Effect of maternal hypoxia on the neurogenesis of the cerebral cortex of rat progeny (autoradiographic study)].

Rats with 15-day pregnancy were exposed to two-hour hypoxia corresponding to 8,000 m altitude. On the 18th day of pregnancy they were administered thymidine-3H three times. Quantitative autoradiographic studies were performed on brain cortex neurons of 30-day rat progeny. The animals who had sustained intrauterine hypoxia were shown to have obviously higher number of labeled neurons in IId, IIId and Vth layers of the sensomotor area than controls. Differences in the label intensity were also revealed. It is suggested that maternal hypoxia may delay differentiation and maturation of the brain cortex neurons in the progeny.