Imperial College London
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DrCarolineShaw

Faculty of Medicine, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction

Honorary Clinical Lecturer
 
 
 
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Contact

 

c.shaw13

 
 
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Location

 

Queen Charlottes and Chelsea HospitalHammersmith Campus

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Summary

 

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Shaw:2018:10.1113/JP275659,
author = {Shaw, CJ and Allison, BJ and Itani, N and Botting, KJ and Niu, Y and Lees, CC and Giussani, DA},
doi = {10.1113/JP275659},
journal = {The Journal of Physiological},
pages = {6105--6119},
title = {Altered autonomic control of heart rate variability in the chronically hypoxic fetus},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1113/JP275659},
volume = {596},
year = {2018}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Although fetal heart rate variability (FHRV) has long been recognised as a powerful predictor of fetal wellbeing, the mechanisms by which it is reduced in the chronically hypoxic fetus have yet to be established. In particular, the physiological mechanism underlying the reduction of short term variation (STV) in fetal compromise remains unclear. In this study, we present a longitudinal study of the development of autonomic control of FHRV, assessed by indirect indices, time domain (SDNN, RMSSD) and power spectral analysis (LF, HF, LF/HF), in normoxic and chronically hypoxic, chronically catheterised, singleton fetal sheep over the last third of gestation. We used isobaric chambers able to maintain pregnant sheep for prolonged periods in hypoxic conditions (stable fetal femoral arterial PO2 10-12 mmHg), and a customised wireless data acquisition system to record beat-to-beat variation in the fetal heart rate. We determined in vivo longitudinal changes in overall FHRV and the sympathetic and parasympathetic contribution to FHRV in hypoxic (n = 6) and normoxic (n = 6) ovine fetuses with advancing gestational age. Normoxic fetuses show gestational age-related increases in overall indices of FHRV, and in the sympathetic nervous system contribution to FHRV (P < 0.001). Conversely, gestational-age related increases in overall FHRV were impaired by exposure to chronic hypoxia, and there was evidence of suppression of the sympathetic nervous system control of FHRV after 72 h of exposure to hypoxia (P < 0.001). This demonstrates that exposure to late gestation isolated chronical fetal hypoxia has the potential to alter the development of the autonomic nervous system control of FHRV in sheep. This presents a potential mechanism by which a reduction in indices of FHRV in human fetuses affected by uteroplacental dysfunction can predict fetuses at increased risk. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
AU  - Shaw,CJ
AU  - Allison,BJ
AU  - Itani,N
AU  - Botting,KJ
AU  - Niu,Y
AU  - Lees,CC
AU  - Giussani,DA
DO  - 10.1113/JP275659
EP  - 6119
PY  - 2018///
SN  - 1469-7793
SP  - 6105
TI  - Altered autonomic control of heart rate variability in the chronically hypoxic fetus
T2  - The Journal of Physiological
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1113/JP275659
UR  - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29604064
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/58682
VL  - 596
ER  -
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