Cardiovascular function and brain metabolites in normal weight and intrauterine growth restricted newborn piglets--effect of mild hypoxia

In order to clarify the influence of intrauterine growth restriction on systemic hemodynamics, catecholamine response, and regional distribution of brain energy metabolites per se and during mild hypoxic episodes a study was performed in thirty newborns with a well-characterized state of intrauterine and intra-natal development. Thirty animals were divided into fifteen normal weight piglets (NW) and fifteen intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) piglets according to their birth weight. Category "NW" covered animals with a birth weight of > 40th percentile; IUGR category covered animals with a birth weight of > 5th and < 10th percentiles. Animals were anesthetized with halothane in 70% nitrous oxide and 30% oxygen and after immobilization artificially ventilated. The acid-base balance and blood gas values at baseline conditions were similar within the different groups investigated and consistent with other data obtained from anesthetized and artificially ventilated newborn piglets. Mild hypoxic hypoxia which was induced by lowering the FiO2 from 0.35 to 0.15 resulted in reduced arterial pO2 (NW: from 115 +/- 37 mmHg to 39 +/- 7 mmHg; IUGR: from 117 +/- 23 mmHg to 39 +/- 3 mmHg; p < 0.05), but arterial pH and pCO2 remained unchanged. Under baseline conditions arterial blood pressure, cardiac output, and myocardial contractility, expressed as dp/dt(max) and plasma catecholamine values were similar in all groups studied. Heart rate was slightly increased in IUGR (p < 0.05). Mild hypoxia led to a strong increase of myocardial contractility in NW as well as IUGR piglets to 2.4 and 2.7 fold and remained increased during recovery (p < 0.05). Moreover, total peripheral resistance was enhanced at the end of recovery period in IUGR animals (p < 0.05). There was a significant increase of epinephrine (E) in NW animals in comparison to sham-operated animals (p < 0.05). Interestingly, during reoxygenation the further increase in E and norepinephrine (NE) levels were enhanced in the animals which suffered from mild hypoxia (p < 0.05). Regional distribution of brain tissue metabolites was partly affected by intrauterine growth restriction. In particular, brain tissue glucose content was strongly reduced by 65 to 72 per cent in all brain regions investigated. Mild hypoxia led to an increase of about 30 percent in NW animals (p < 0.05). In IUGR piglets the percentage increase of brain glucose content was on an average more pronounced but with considerably higher variance. Also, a strong increase of brain lactate content appeared here (p < 0.05). In contrast, brain tissue ATP was quite similar in all groups studied, but brain creatine phosphate was significantly reduced in some forebrain structures of IUGR piglets after mild hypoxia (figure 2, p < 0.05). In summary, this investigation provides information on cardiovascular functions and brain metabolites of normal weight and naturally occurring growth restricted newborn piglets. Mild hypoxemia was well-tolerated from both animal groups. It is suggested that lactate may play a significant role as a source for brain energy production in the newborn IUGR piglets.