Decreased Umbilical Artery Compliance and IGF-I Plasma Levels in Infants with Intrauterine Growth Restriction – Implications for Fetal Programming of Hypertension

Burkhardt, T.; Matter, C.M.; Lohmann, C.; Cai, H.; Lüscher, T.F.; Zisch, A.H.; Beinder, E.

doi:10.1016/j.placenta.2008.11.005

« Previous Next »Placenta
Volume 30, Issue 2 , Pages 136-141, February 2009

Decreased Umbilical Artery Compliance and IGF-I Plasma Levels in Infants with Intrauterine Growth Restriction – Implications for Fetal Programming of Hypertension

T. Burkhardt
- Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
C.M. Matter
- Cardiovascular Research, Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich and Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
C. Lohmann
- Cardiovascular Research, Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich and Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
H. Cai
- Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
T.F. Lüscher
- Cardiovascular Research, Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich and Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
A.H. Zisch
- Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
E. Beinder
- Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. Department of Obstetrics, Zurich University Hospital, Frauenklinikstrasse 10, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland. Tel.: +41 44 255 5148; fax: +41 44 255 4430.

Accepted 7 November 2008. published online 15 December 2008.

Abstract

Epidemiological studies link intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) to arterial hypertension in adulthood. We compared umbilical arteries from IUGR (n=12, <5th weight percentile) vs. appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants (n=12) using structural and functional analyses. The vessel wall area of umbilical arteries in the IUGR group was significantly smaller than in the AGA group (2.8 vs. 3.8mm², P<0.05). Myographic measurements showed that maximal tension [mN/mm] as well as maximal force [mN] were both significantly increased in IUGR arteries compared with AGA arteries (P<0.05). Serum levels of IGF-I, a regulator of elastin synthesis, were significantly lower in IUGR cord blood (P<0.01) than in AGA cord blood. These IGF-I serum levels correlated significantly with maximum tension in umbilical arteries (P<0.01). Low intrauterine IGF-I serum levels may account for thinner and stiffer umbilical arteries in IUGR infants in comparison to AGA infants thereby providing a potential link to arterial hypertension in adulthood.