Open AccessEndothelin‐1 Concentrations in Clone Calves, Their Surrogate Dams, and Fetal Fluids at Birth: Association with Oxygen Treatment
Author(s) -
Wilkins Pamela A.,
Boston Raymond,
Palmer Jonathan E.,
Armstead William M.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of veterinary internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1939-1676
pISSN - 0891-6640
DOI - 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2005.tb02733.x
Subject(s) - medicine , fetus , placenta , clone (java method) , andrology , placentation , oxygenation , preeclampsia , endocrinology , pregnancy , biology , biochemistry , dna , genetics
Increased endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) plasma concentration in human infants is associated with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, a problem also identified in calves derived from somatic cell clone technology. Increased ET‐1 also is present in the amnionic fluid and plasma of the infant and mother in preeclampsia, a condition associated with abnormal placentation. Abnormalities in placentation are identified in clone calves. We measured ET‐1 in fetal fluid, calf plasma, and surrogate dam plasma in 40 clone calves at the time of term delivery. Calves were subsequently identified as being either oxygen treated (O 2 ) or non‐ oxygen treated based on their postpartum clinical course. Fetal fluid ET‐1 concentration greater than 1.4 ng/mL carried a 3‐fold increase in odds of the calf being treated with oxygen. Maternal plasma ET‐1 concentration was greater in the O 2 group (13 pg/ mL: [8–23 pg/mL] versus 25 pg/mL [12–40 pg/mL]; median, 25–75 percentile). Plasma ET‐1 concentration in calves was not significantly different between groups. Fetal fluid ET‐1 may serve as a marker for neonatal disorders of oxygenation in clone calves and the source of ET‐1 may be the placenta.