Prenatal or postnatal corticosteroids favor clinical, respiratory, metabolic outcomes and oxidative balance of preterm lambs corticotherapy for premature neonatal lambs.

Challenges of the extrauterine environment can be life threatening for a premature fetus with inadequate fetal maturity. Maternal corticosteroids therapy is widely employed to induce fetal pulmonary maturation. Nevertheless, whenever therapeutic pregnancy interruption has to be performed in a time manner insufficient to treat the dam, postnatal corticotherapy can be considered an alternative. However, it is not known if antenatal and postnatal corticotherapy can improve similarly neonatal outcomes and pulmonary function. This research aimed to analyze antenatal and postnatal corticotherapy on premature lambs vitality, pulmonary functioning, metabolic and oxidative status. Lambs were evaluated according to the mode of treatment: Prenatal Corticosteroid Group (8 lambs born after maternal betamethasone treatment 48 h prior to birth), Postnatal Corticosteroid Group (9 lambs subjected to betamethasone treatment 10 min after birth) and Control Group (5 lambs remained untreated). Lambs were medically followed-up from birth to 72 h thereafter through a complete physical examination, as well as lactatemia, glycaemia, blood acid-base balance and antioxidant status. Treated lambs had higher vitality score than the Control Group. Heart rate was higher in postnatal therapy compared to prenatal treatment. Respiratory rate and rectal temperature were higher in treated groups. Treated lambs had hyperglycemia, while the Postnatal Group had higher lactatemia than the Control Group. The Prenatal Group had lower and normal pCO2 from 60 min onwards. The Postnatal Group had higher superoxide dismutase activity than untreated lambs. In conclusion, prenatal and postnatal betamethasone treatments favor neonatal clinical outcome, respiratory function, glucose homeostasis and oxidative balance.

Redox, acid-base and clinical analysis of preterm and term neonatal lambs

During pregnancy, fetal lambs are exposed to low oxygen tension. Thus, an effective antioxidant mechanism is partially developed which sensitizes fetus to oxidative stress. Consequently, term and preterm neonates are susceptible to molecular and cellular injury caused by oxygen species (ROS). This study aimed to evaluate the development of antioxidant enzymes and oxidative profile of preterm (135 days of pregnancy) and term (145 days of pregnancy) neonatal lambs, correlating with clinical analysis. Preterm lambs had significantly (P ≤ 0.05) lower score of vitality (4.00 ± 1.10), bradycardia (99 ± 34 bpm) and bradypnea (13 ± 10 mpm). However, both groups were normothermic and euglycemic. Preterm group had low blood pH (7.07 ± 0.10) and both groups had hypercapnia, more severe in preterm group (85.52 ± 18.65 mmHg). In addition, premature newborns had lower pO2 (10.67 ± 5.65 mmHg) and SO2 (6.17 ± 5.85%) values. No significant difference (P ≥ 0.05) on antioxidant enzymes and oxidative stress were verified among experimental groups, although glutathione peroxidase negatively correlated with Apgar score, heart rate, SO2 and pO2 . Our data show that preterm neonates are less adapted to the odds of labor and to overcome the immediate changes of extra-uterine life. Furthermore, we verified an influence of glutathione peroxidase in controlling oxidative stress, which highlights mature enzymatic mechanisms of cell redox, even in premature lambs.

Redox, acid-base and clinical analysis of preterm and term neonatal lambs

During pregnancy, fetal lambs are exposed to low oxygen tension. Thus, an effective antioxidant mechanism is partially developed which sensitizes fetus to oxidative stress. Consequently, term and preterm neonates are susceptible to molecular and cellular injury caused by oxygen species (ROS). This study aimed to evaluate the development of antioxidant enzymes and oxidative profile of preterm (135 days of pregnancy) and term (145 days of pregnancy) neonatal lambs, correlating with clinical analysis. Preterm lambs had significantly (P ≤ 0.05) lower score of vitality (4.00 ± 1.10), bradycardia (99 ± 34 bpm) and bradypnea (13 ± 10 mpm). However, both groups were normothermic and euglycemic. Preterm group had low blood pH (7.07 ± 0.10) and both groups had hypercapnia, more severe in preterm group (85.52 ± 18.65 mmHg). In addition, premature newborns had lower pO2 (10.67 ± 5.65 mmHg) and SO2 (6.17 ± 5.85%) values. No significant difference (P ≥ 0.05) on antioxidant enzymes and oxidative stress were verified among experimental groups, although glutathione peroxidase negatively correlated with Apgar score, heart rate, SO2 and pO2 . Our data show that preterm neonates are less adapted to the odds of labor and to overcome the immediate changes of extra-uterine life. Furthermore, we verified an influence of glutathione peroxidase in controlling oxidative stress, which highlights mature enzymatic mechanisms of cell redox, even in premature lambs.(AU)

Redox, acid-base and clinical analysis of preterm and term neonatal lambs.

During pregnancy, fetal lambs are exposed to low oxygen tension. Thus, an effective antioxidant mechanism is partially developed which sensitizes fetus to oxidative stress. Consequently, term and preterm neonates are susceptible to molecular and cellular injury caused by oxygen species (ROS). This study aimed to evaluate the development of antioxidant enzymes and oxidative profile of preterm (135 days of pregnancy) and term (145 days of pregnancy) neonatal lambs, correlating with clinical analysis. Preterm lambs had significantly (P ≤ 0.05) lower score of vitality (4.00 ± 1.10), bradycardia (99 ± 34 bpm) and bradypnea (13 ± 10 mpm). However, both groups were normothermic and euglycemic. Preterm group had low blood pH (7.07 ± 0.10) and both groups had hypercapnia, more severe in preterm group (85.52 ± 18.65 mmHg). In addition, premature newborns had lower pO2 (10.67 ± 5.65 mmHg) and SO2 (6.17 ± 5.85%) values. No significant difference (P ≥ 0.05) on antioxidant enzymes and oxidative stress were verified among experimental groups, although glutathione peroxidase negatively correlated with Apgar score, heart rate, SO2 and pO2. Our data show that preterm neonates are less adapted to the odds of labor and to overcome the immediate changes of extra-uterine life. Furthermore, we verified an influence of glutathione peroxidase in controlling oxidative stress, which highlights mature enzymatic mechanisms of cell redox, even in premature lambs.

Acute-phase protein profile of healthy bitches in diestrus: the influence of steroid hormones

Background: Acute-phase proteins are known as significant indicators of inflammation for several animal species, allowing more accurate follow-up of diseases, particularly when other clinical signs are not apparent. Nevertheless, the difficulty of data interpretation due to the absence of reference values for canine species represents an imperative obstacle for systematic clinical application. Moreover, no influence of hormonal status has yet been established for dogs. The aim of this study was thus to propose reference values of fibrinogen, haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, seromucoid and glycoprotein for diestrous healthy females and therefore verify the influence of the hormone status.Materials, Methods & Results: Data consisted of weekly blood sampling from 20 Great Dane diestrous bitches during 9 weeks. Each animal’s health condition was verified through physical assessment and the absence of acute inflammatory or infectious processes was guaranteed by a total white cell count. Sampling started with diestrus onset and continued until the beginning of anestrus, evaluated by vaginal cytology. From blood samples, the concentrations of fibrinogen, haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, seromucoid, glycoprotein, progesterone and estrogen were determined accordingly. No statistical variations (P < 0.05) on plasmatic fibrinogen, serum haptoglobin and ceruloplasmin concentrations were observed between weeks of diestrus nor a correlation between the hormonal profile. Significant increase in seromucoid concentration was verified between the 1st and 6th week of diestrus, while significant variation (P < 0.05) of glycoprotein was measured between the 1st and 3rd weeks of diestrus, as well as between weeks 2 and 9. The reference values proposed were: 182.22 (±46.40) mg/ dL for fibrinogen, 80.22 (±9.80) mg/dL of HbCN binding capacity for haptoglobin, 8.19 (±1.68) IU/L for ceruloplasmin, 79.88 (±15.78) mg/dL for seromucoid and 11.89 (±0.92) % for glycoprotein.[...]

Acute-phase protein profile of healthy bitches in diestrus: the influence of steroid hormones

Background: Acute-phase proteins are known as significant indicators of inflammation for several animal species, allowing more accurate follow-up of diseases, particularly when other clinical signs are not apparent. Nevertheless, the difficulty of data interpretation due to the absence of reference values for canine species represents an imperative obstacle for systematic clinical application. Moreover, no influence of hormonal status has yet been established for dogs. The aim of this study was thus to propose reference values of fibrinogen, haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, seromucoid and glycoprotein for diestrous healthy females and therefore verify the influence of the hormone status.Materials, Methods & Results: Data consisted of weekly blood sampling from 20 Great Dane diestrous bitches during 9 weeks. Each animals health condition was verified through physical assessment and the absence of acute inflammatory or infectious processes was guaranteed by a total white cell count. Sampling started with diestrus onset and continued until the beginning of anestrus, evaluated by vaginal cytology. From blood samples, the concentrations of fibrinogen, haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, seromucoid, glycoprotein, progesterone and estrogen were determined accordingly. No statistical variations (P < 0.05) on plasmatic fibrinogen, serum haptoglobin and ceruloplasmin concentrations were observed between weeks of diestrus nor a correlation between the hormonal profile. Significant increase in seromucoid concentration was verified between the 1st and 6th week of diestrus, while significant variation (P < 0.05) of glycoprotein was measured between the 1st and 3rd weeks of diestrus, as well as between weeks 2 and 9. The reference values proposed were: 182.22 (±46.40) mg/ dL for fibrinogen, 80.22 (±9.80) mg/dL of HbCN binding capacity for haptoglobin, 8.19 (±1.68) IU/L for ceruloplasmin, 79.88 (±15.78) mg/dL for seromucoid and 11.89 (±0.92) % for glycoprotein.[...](AU)