Morphological and functional alterations in the aorta of the chronically hypoxic fetal rat.

In human pregnancy, reduced placental perfusion has been associated with fetal aortic thickening. However, the relative contributions of fetal undernutrition versus fetal underoxygenation to triggering alterations in fetal cardiovascular development remain uncertain. Here, we isolate the effects of chronic fetal hypoxia on fetal cardiovascular development in a specific rodent model of chronic fetal hypoxia independent of changes in nutrition during pregnancy.