Maternal stress and the neonate's response to hypoxia
| dc.contributor.advisor | Fewell, James E. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Young, Sandra | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2017-12-18T21:58:29Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2017-12-18T21:58:29Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2009 | |
| dc.description | Bibliography: p. 108-167 | en |
| dc.description.abstract | Glucocorticoids promote cellular differentiation over proliferation. This physiological principle inspired the antenatal exogenous glucocorticoid administration in threatened preterm labor to be a standard in practice, as it significantly reduces the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage, and neonatal mortality. The specific aim of this study was to investigate the neonate's response to hypoxia following exposure to a maternal endogenous glucocorticoid release in response to a psychological stressor, as opposed to exogenous glucocorticoid administration. Hence we postulated there may be differences in corticosterone levels measured in rat dams exposed to a psychological stressor versus controls. We then hypothesized that when exposed to hypoxia, rat pups antentally exposed to a maternal endogenous glucocorticoid release, may respond differently, as compared to controls. We measured the effects on corticosterone levels, in pregnant rat dams on gestational days 17, 18 and 19, following a 30 minute exposure to a simulated open field, and compared these levels to levels obtained from control dams on the same gestational days. Exposure to the open field resulted in significantly increased, non-attenuated, and reproducible corticosterone levels, sustained 120 minutes after exposure to the open field. Thereafter, spontaneously breathing rat pups on day of life 1, 5, and 10, were placed in a temperature controlled metabolic chamber, and were exposed to either sustained or intermittent hypoxia, during which heart rates and respiratory rates were recorded via 12 channel Polygraph and then analyzed. We found no significant differences between rat pups exposed to a maternal psychological stressor versus control rat pups on day of life 1, 5, or 10, to withstand hypoxia; as measured by time to last gasp, or number of successful autoresuscitations. However, the total number of gasps in day of life 1 pups exposed to a maternal psychological stressor was significantly less than controls. These findings provide new information regarding factors that influence the neonate's ability to withstand hypoxia: specifically pertaining to intrauterine exposure to an endogenous neuroendocrine stress response in late pregnancy. | en |
| dc.format.extent | 167 leaves ; 30 cm. | en |
| dc.identifier.citation | Young, S. (2009). Maternal stress and the neonate's response to hypoxia (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/3037 | en_US |
| dc.identifier.doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/3037 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1880/104038 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | |
| dc.publisher.institution | University of Calgary | en |
| dc.publisher.place | Calgary | en |
| dc.rights | University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. | |
| dc.title | Maternal stress and the neonate's response to hypoxia | |
| dc.type | doctoral thesis | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Medical Science | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Calgary | |
| thesis.degree.name | Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) | |
| ucalgary.item.requestcopy | true | |
| ucalgary.thesis.accession | Theses Collection 58.002:Box 1907 520502077 | |
| ucalgary.thesis.notes | UARC | en |
| ucalgary.thesis.uarcrelease | y | en |
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