Transcriptomic evidence that cortisol alters perinatal epicardial adipose tissue maturation.

Cortisol administration during late gestation in ewes, modeling maternal stress, resulted in transcriptomic changes suggesting altered maturation and metabolic changes to the offspring heart. This study investigates the effects of cortisol on epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), a visceral fat pad associated with adverse cardiovascular conditions in adults. Pregnant ewes were treated with either 1 mg·kg·day cortisol from 115 days gestation to term and EAT collected from term fetuses (control: = 8, maternal cortisol 1 mg·kg·day: = 6).