Responses of the rat foetus to maternal injections of adrenaline and vasopressin

1. Injection of 0.5-2.0 units of vasopressin or 25-100 mug of adrenaline into the peritoneal cavity of pregnant rats produced a transient slowing of the foetal heart. The bradycardia could be induced in foetuses after 15-21 days of gestation. Foetal heart rates dropped from normal values of 140-180 beats/min, often to less than 20 beats/minute. The period of bradycardia was dose dependent and ranged from 30 to 65 minutes.2. Maternal injection of the hormones produced a fall in foetal blood pressure from an average of 54, often to less than 20 mm of water, in 17-day foetuses. Direct injection of the hormones into the pericardial sac of the foetuses had the opposite effect and pressures rose an average of 15 mm of water 1 min after the injection.3. During the period of bradycardia, the potassium concentrations in foetal serum rose from an average value of 8.9 mequiv/1. to an average of 17.3 mequiv/litre. Concentrations of serum sodium fell from 126.2 to 121.4 mequiv/1. during the bradycardia. No changes were detected in the concentrations of either calcium or chloride. Foetal P(O2) levels fell from 25 to 15, P(CO2) rose from 61 to 89 or more, and pH fell from 7.19 to 6.86 during the bradycardia.4. Maternal death and uterine clamping caused foetal bradycardia and a rise in foetal serum potassium to an average of 20.2 mequiv/litre.5. It is concluded that interruption of normal uterine blood flow by vasoconstruction (adrenaline or vasopressin) or direct blockage (uterine clamping) results in a transient hypoxia, bradycardia, and serum ion changes in foetuses.