Premium
Sex‐specific effect of progesterone on hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) in newborn rats
Author(s) -
Lefter Raluca,
Betry Cecile,
Doan Van Diep,
Joseph Vincent
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.955.3
Subject(s) - hypoxic ventilatory response , endocrinology , domperidone , medicine , peripheral chemoreceptors , hypoxia (environmental) , respiratory system , control of respiration , respiratory minute volume , ventilation (architecture) , biology , plethysmograph , chemoreceptor , dopamine , receptor , chemistry , mechanical engineering , organic chemistry , oxygen , engineering
Progesterone (P) is a respiratory stimulant in adults. Since preterm babies are chronically deprived from placental P and exhibit delayed development of respiratory control and respiratory disorders affecting particularly males, our hypothesis is that there is a sex‐specific effect of P on respiratory control development. Lactating female rats were implanted with osmotic minipump delivering P or vehicle during postnatal days 1–14. Respiratory and metabolic studies were performed using whole body plethysmography in male and female rats at postnatal days 3 (P3) and 12 (P12) under normoxia and hypoxia (10% O2). There was no apparent effect of P in P3 pups, but P decreased ventilation and metabolic rate in P12 females. P increased HVR in P12 rats: slightly in males and dramatically in females. Moreover, in P12 P totally abolished the inhibitory effect of a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist (domperidone injected ip) on HVR in males. In P12 females domperidone injection did not completely abolished the effects of P on HVR. These results suggest that P accelerates the maturation of HVR and induces sex‐specific effects on peripheral chemoreceptors neurochemistry. Founded by FRSQ, Sick Kids Foundation, CIHR.