Hydrops fetalis in nephrectomized fetal lambs infused with angiotensin I

J. J. Faber, D. F. Anderson

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    16 Scopus citations

    Abstract

    Nine bilaterally nephrectomized fetal sheep were infused for 6 days with angiotensin I in sterile water, and five nephrectomized fetal sheep were infused for 6 days with water alone. Total dose of angiotensin was 13.8 ± 8.6 (SD) mg/kg fetal dry wt, and the total volumes of infused water were 303 ± 201 and 423 ± 164 ml, respectively. Of the fetuses infused with angiotensin I, one was of normal appearance, two showed moderate hydrops fetalis, and the remaining fetuses were grossly hydropic. All water-infused fetuses were normal. Their wet-to-dry weight ratios were 7.98 and 6.36 (P < 0.015), representing a 25% of normal body weight excess of water in the angiotensin I-infused fetuses. Six days of angiotensin I infusion caused a gradual rise in fetal arterial blood pressure from 37 ± 15 to 81 ± 15 mmHg (P < 0.05) and a gradual rise in venous blood pressure from 2.7 ± 1.0 to 10.5 ± 1.7 mmHg (P < 0.05). It was concluded that the fetal edema was due to the elevation in venous pressure. Plasma concentrations of Na+, K+, Cl-, HCO3/-, total α-amino acids, fructose, glucose, and lactate in the fetus and the ewe did not identify an osmotically active solute responsible for the transplacental attraction of excess water into the conceptus, and the mechanism that attracted this excess water across the placenta remains unclear.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)R1522-R1527
    JournalAmerican Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology
    Volume267
    Issue number6 36-6
    DOIs
    StatePublished - 1994

    Keywords

    • edema
    • placenta
    • sheep
    • water

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Physiology
    • Physiology (medical)

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