Effects of Chronic Intrauterine Hypoxia on Endothelium Vascular Relaxation in Adult Male Offspring Rabbits

  • Dr Guorong Lv, Department of Ultrasound , Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, China
  • Dr Huitong Lin, Department of Ultrasound, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujan Medical University, China
  • Dr Zhenhua Wang, Department of Ultrasound, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujan Medical University, China
  • Dr Boyi Li, Department of Ultrasound, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujan Medical University, China

    • Objective: To investigate the effects of chronic intrauterine hypoxia on endothelium vascular relaxation in adult male offspring rabbit.
    Methods: 16 New-Zealand rabbits were assigned randomly to 2 groups: chronic intrauterine hypoxia group (CIH, 12%O2, n=8) and Normal oxygen group (NO, 21%O2, n=8). After delivery, 2 male offspring rabbits per litter were selected and breast-fed for 3 months. Then they were randomly separated into high-fat diet and normal diet respectively. Thus 4 groups were got as follow: Chronic Intrauterine Hypoxia with High Fat Diet (CIH&HFD, n=8), Non-Chronic Intrauterine Hypoxia with High Fat Diet (NCIH&HFD, n=8), Chronic Intrauterine Hypoxia with Normal Diet (CIH&ND, n=8) and Normal Control (NC, n=8).At sixth months of age, offspring rabbits were evaluated for endothelium vascular relaxation of the abdominal aorta by ultrasonoscopy.
    Results: CIH could result in a series of effects in adult rabbit offspring ,such as elevated serum total cholesterol and triglyceride level, and attenuated endothelial dependent vasodilation(EDV) of abdominal aorta (P<0.05). All these influences caused by CIH were aggravated significantly when hyperlipemia was imposed(P<0.05).
    Conclusions: CIH cause impaired EDV in adult offspring. The adult offspring rabbit which have ever undergone chronic hypoxia in utero were more sensitive to the impairment of high-fat diet.