Chorioamnionitis is a common antecedent of preterm birth and induces inflammation and oxidative stress in the fetal lungs. Reducing inflammation and oxidative stress in the fetal lungs may improve respiratory outcomes in preterm infants. Creatine is an organic acid with known anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNormal in utero lung development and growth rely upon the expansion of airspaces and the controlled efflux of lung liquid into the amniotic space. Infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) also have lung hypoplasia due to occupation of the chest cavity by the stomach and bowel and, in the most severe cases, the liver. Balloon tracheal occlusion reduces the severity of lung hypoplasia in fetuses with CDH but increases the risk of premature birth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiological variation (BV) describes the physiological random fluctuation around a homeostatic set point, which is a characteristic of all blood measurands (analytes). That variation may impact the clinical relevance of the changes that are observed in the serial results for an individual. Biological variation is represented mathematically by the coefficient of variation (CV) and occurs within each individual (CV) and between individuals in a population (CV).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aims: Fatty streaks initiating the formation of atheromatous plaque appear in the tunica intima. The tunica media is not known to be a nidus for lipid accumulation initiating atherogenesis. We assessed changes to the tunica media in response to a micro-injury produced in the pig aorta.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this study was to determine if oxygen supplementation improved the PaO of pregnant ewes during short anaesthesia, when compared to a previous study where oxygen was not provided (Musk and Kemp, 2018). Twenty-six pregnant Merino cross ewes at 121-123 days of gestation were anaesthetised with intravenous midazolam and ketamine for subarachnoid administration of 60 mg of lignocaine and caesarean delivery of the preterm lamb. 100% oxygen was administered to the ewe by a face mask.
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